The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) this week announced $11.2 million in grants from the FY 2019 Disadvantaged Business Enterprise/Supportive Services (DBE/SS) program to help eligible small businesses compete for federal highway contracts in 47 states, as well as Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico.
“Grants like these help small business owners create jobs while keeping costs low, which is a powerful way to help strengthen the American economy,” FHWA Administrator Nicole Nason said in a statement.
The FHWA has promoted the participation of DBEs in federal-aid highway contracts through state-managed programs since 1982. The DBE/SS grants are an ongoing effort by the FHWA to help state DOTs train certified DBE firms on a wide array of business management practices, including procurement assistance and guidance on securing bonding.
A DBE is a for-profit, small business owned by minorities, women, or other socially and economically disadvantaged individuals or, in the case of a corporation, one in which 51% of the stock is owned by one or more such individuals. The daily business operations must be controlled by at least one of the socially and economically disadvantaged owners.
Funding amounts for the FY 2019 DBE/SS grant awardees in each state can be found here.
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SOURCE: Federal Highway Administration
