The State of Maryland is committed to enhancing opportunities for small, minority- and women-owned firms to participate fully and fairly in public contracting. In 1978 the Maryland General Assembly passed groundbreaking legislation and established the Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) Program. Today, State law sets a goal for contracting to certified MBEs at 25% — the most aggressive in the nation.
A comprehensive certification program is administered by the Maryland Department of Transportation’s (MDOT) Office of Minority Business Enterprise (OMBE) to ensure that only bona fide firms participate in the program. OMBE also administers the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program. DBE goals apply to transportation projects funded by the U.S Department of Transportation which are administered by MDOT. Requirements for both programs are governed by State and Federal statutes.
The program highlights the benefits of certification, the five core eligibility standards, the application procedures and the overall certification process. It also covers valuable information regarding marketing and business development to government agencies. Firms who participate in a workshop prior to submitting the application tend to have greater confidence as they navigate through the certification process.
Firms interested in seeking MBE/DBE certification through MDOT are encouraged to attend the FREE application assistance workshop to be held on Wednesday, April 18th, 2012 from 5:30pm until 7:30pm. The course will be held at the Queen Anne’s Co. Department of Planning and Zoning, 160 Coursevall Drive, Centreville, MD 21617 in the Conference Room.
To register please visit Maryland Capital’s Website at www.marylandcapital.org or for more information please contact Jessica Weber at 410-546-1900.
Pre-registration is required!
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