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Subject: ACTION: Due August 31, 2018 

Fiscal Year 2018 (FY18) 

Disadvantaged Business Enterprise

 Supportive Services (DBE/SS) Call for 

Statements of Work

 

 

From: Martha Kenley

Team Leader

DBE & Contractor Compliance 

 

To: Directors of Field Services 

Division Administrators

Civil Rights Specialists

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Office of Civil Rights (HCR) requests that 

State Departments of Transportation (State DOTs) submit their FY18 Disadvantaged 

Business Enterprises Supportive Services (DBE/SS) Statements of Work (SOW) to their 

respective FHWA Division Office (Division) for review and approval. Divisions should then 

submit the DBE/SS SOW package to HCR’s SharePoint by August 31, 2018. 

Should a State DOT decide not to participate in the DBE/SS program for FY18, the State 

DOT’s Chief Executive Officer, or designee, must submit a written statement on agency 

letterhead of the State DOT’s intention to decline the FY18 DBE/SS allocation. Please 

submit the letter of decline to HCR’s SharePoint by August 31, 2018. 

PROGRAM FUNDING 

HCR anticipates the FY18 allocations will approximate the program annual allocation of 

$10M (see Table 1 attached).

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS

HCR now requires that every State DOT accepting DBE/SS funds implement a Business 

Development Program (BDP). The purpose of a BDP is to evaluate and provide a structured 

process for DBEs to receive firm-specific training and technical assistance to increase

opportunities for successful participation as primes or subcontractors on highway-related 

Memorandum

Date: July 30, 2018

In Reply Refer To: 

 HCR-30 
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contracts. Regulation 49 CFR Part 26, Appendix C sets forth the parameters of a BDP. For 

additional information on BDPs, please refer to a report developed from a Peer Exchange 

among FHWA, FTA, recipients, and stakeholders.

STATEMENT OF WORK SUBMISSION PROCESS

HCR requires each State DOT to design an effective and feasible metric-based DBE/SS 

program for the purpose of increasing the capacity and to improve the overall business 

practices of DBEs. We expect State DOTs to develop their own SOWs. State DOTs must 

not use the services of a consultant or future service provider to create the SOW. The SOW 

must outline the State DOT’s proposed budget (approximated, based on FY 2018 funding). 

It is important to know that HCR will accept amendments to the budget and SOW after HCR 

publishes the FY18 final allocation amounts. 

State DOTs must describe how the program will deliver business development services for 

identified DBEs and the process of how staff selects DBEs for the program. The SOW 

should contain goals and objectives tailored to the development of each identified DBE 

participant. State DOTs must submit only one SOW per Federal fiscal year, although each 

SOW may include multiple concepts within a single submission. For example, the SOW 

may include an element of a concluding program and an additional Business Development 

element. The SOW should not exceed ten pages in total, excluding attachments and/or 

exhibits. 

State DOTs should announce all DBE/SS solicitations on their public website and must

solicit proposals from qualified sources in such a way as to ensure the competitive nature of 

the procurement (23 CFR § 230.204 (e)).

EVALUATION PROCESS

Divisions will review and evaluate the State DOT’s SOW submission to ensure it meets the 

intent of the DBE/SS program. Divisions must submit SOWs and supporting documents to 

HCR by August 31, 2018. Supporting documents include: 

• An intent to approve letter;

• A detailed budget; and 

• A copy of the entire SOW.

Examples of all of these supporting documents are on the HCR DBE/SS SharePoint Site. 

The Division must submit the SOW and all supporting documents to the corresponding State 

folder located on the HCR DBE/SS SharePoint site.
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ALLOCATION AND PERFORMANCE PROCESS

Based on the availability of funds and concurrence with the Division’s recommendation, 

HCR will allocate the funds. Then, the State DOT will need to request obligation of the 

funds in the Fiscal Management Information System (FMIS). From there, the Division will 

provide authorization to proceed via FMIS (23 CFR § 630.106). When the State DOT

awards the contract and once approved in FMIS by the Division, the 12-month performance 

period for the DBE/SS contract begins (DBE/SS contracts may contain an option to renew

for up to two years conditioned upon documented satisfactory performance and availability 

of funding). Finally, the State DOT must obligate and expend all of the allocated funds by 

the end of the designated performance period, unless given written approval to extend by the 

Division. The Divisions must notify HCR of all extension approvals. State DOTs must deobligate all unexpended balances within 90-day of the end of the performance period, unless 

given written approval to extend the date by the Division.

To ensure the success of the DBE/SS program, all Divisions must maintain a sufficient level 

of program oversight to measure progress, success, and to address shortfalls promptly. State 

DOTs must also ensure appropriate DBE/SS program oversight, regularly track progress, and 

demonstrate achievement of program goals/objectives. State DOTs must submit timely and 

accurate reports to their respective Division. Divisions will need to submit a short narrative 

report to HCR at the end of the performance period. 

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Tracy Duval at (202) 366-1604 or 

tracy.duval@dot.gov.
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Table I: Approximate FY18 DBE/SS Estimated Allocation

State

FY18 

Estimated 

Allocation

Alabama $ 190,391

Alaska $ 125,831

Arizona $ 183,611

Arkansas $ 129,928

California $ 921,066

Colorado $ 134,192

Connecticut $ 126,043

Delaware $ 42,451

Dist. of Col. $ 40,041

Florida $ 475,466

Georgia $ 324,028

Hawaii $ 42,444

Idaho $ 71,777

Illinois $ 356,788

Indiana $ 239,118

Iowa $ 123,332

Kansas $ 94,833

Kentucky $ 166,739

Louisiana $ 176,130

Maine $ 46,324

Maryland $ 150,805

Massachusetts $ 152,413

Michigan $ 264,219

Minnesota $ 163,640

Mississippi $ 121,371

Missouri $ 237,571

Montana $ 102,964

Nebraska $ 72,535

Nevada $ 91,125

New Hampshire $ 41,463

New Jersey $ 250,563

New Mexico $ 92,156

New York $ 421,233

North Carolina $ 261,729

North Dakota $ 62,303

Ohio $ 336,379

Oklahoma $ 159,156

Oregon $ 125,432

Pennsylvania $ 411,745

Rhode Island $ 54,882

South Carolina $ 168,042

South Dakota $ 70,771

Tennessee $ 212,061

Texas $ 913,563

Utah $ 87,140

Vermont $ 50,932

Virginia $ 255,372

Washington $ 170,122

West Virginia $ 109,669

Wisconsin $ 188,822

Wyoming $ 64,289

Somoa $ 22,500

Guam $ 22,500

Northern Mariana $ 22,500

Puerto Rico $ 35,000

Virgin Islands $ 22,500

Estimated Allocation Total $ 10,000,000