DOTD exceeds DBE goal for the 2021 fiscal year
Tuesday, December 07, 2021 at 10:28:09 AM
Baton Rouge - The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development exceeded its annual participation goal for the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program for the 2020-2021 Fiscal Year that ended September 30. The goal, determined by DBE Uniform Report formula calculation and approved by the Federal Highway Administration, was set at 15 percent, which DOTD exceeded the goal at 15.42 percent.
“We are committed to working with small and diverse businesses throughout the state and want to make sure that each firm is given the opportunity to work on state projects in every capacity, from the construction process to design and planning,” said DOTD Secretary Shawn D. Wilson, Ph.D. “This is the first time in six years the DOTD has met its DBE goal, even though our efforts exceeded the immediate previous years’ goal. I attribute this to the hard work and success of our Compliance Programs Section who worked diligently on setting a structured process that ensured contractors were meeting the DBE goal on federal aid highway construction projects. I would also like to acknowledge the many prime contractors that bid on our projects and work with the DBE businesses. The cooperation between prime contractors and sub-contractors is what makes a successful partnership that delivers quality projects to the motorists of Louisiana.”
The DBE Program was created to remedy past and current discrimination against minority owned firms. The intention is to level the playing field for socially and economically disadvantaged individuals wanting to do business with the DOTD on U.S. Department of Transportation federally assisted projects.
The annual goal is based on a percentage of the Federal-aid funds each state DOT receives yearly and is re-evaluated every three years and the capacity of certified firms to do the work. Last year, there were 380 prime and sub contracts awarded to DBE firms in Louisiana, totaling more than $75 million.