From the KY DBE Program Manager...
If you have been following news reports from Louisville and Frankfort, you may know there has been a lot of preparation activity for the Bridges Project, with funding being the major issue. However, the Kentucky Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program (KY DBE) functions continuously in its scope of work to accomplish a number of goals.
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The KY DBE Program Management team reaches out to certified KY DBEs with information and programs to assist them in gaining experience on other projects, connects them with contractors and mentoring opportunities, and provides them with educational programs that help set long-term strategic plans, crucial to the sustainability of their businesses and prequalification.
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We also inform KY DBEs about other local small business programs and provide information regarding technical and financial assistance.
In understanding the types of businesses that will be needed to work on the Bridges Project when construction begins, we also reach out to firms that may potentially be eligible for KY DBE certification, but are not part of the program. We urge these firms to apply to KYTC and if necessary become prequalified to work on road, bridge and highway construction projects.
Through our outreach with prime contractors, we provide connections with KY DBEs, many of which may be seldom used on contracts. We urge such firms to be as inclusive as possible in utilizing all available KY DBE firms, not ruling out certified firms based on preconceptions about their competence to do a particular job. We encourage and at times facilitate partnering relationships between firms that prove to be mutually beneficial and help build the capacity of the KY DBE firms.
I hope this provides a better understanding of how the KY DBE Program of the Ohio River Bridges Project works, and has continued to work through each phase of the Project. We will continue to do our best to help promote KY DBEs and build a successful and sustainable program for the Bridges Project and beyond.
In this edition, we have provided information about the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act which has resulted in the distribution of federal stimulus funds in many areas of the state for infrastructure projects that include goals for KY DBE firms. I strongly encourage you to use this information to your advantage to seek opportunities during these trying times.
Sincerely,
Tierra
Tierra Kavanaugh Turner
KY DBE Program Manager
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