The State System promotes and supports the involvement of Small Diverse Business in facilities project contracts. This includes prime contractors as well as subcontractors and suppliers.
In 2013, the Commonwealth changed the MBE/WBE Program to a Small Diverse Business (SDB) Program, incorporating small businesses of the minority, woman, veteran, and service-disabled veteran categories. A few years later, disability-owned and LGBT businesses were added as SDB categories. Below is a summary of key elements from the System’s current SDB Program.
Proactive Solicitation Policy
Prime bidders submitting bids for System construction contracts shall proactively solicit SDB and encourage them to submit written quotes for portions of the work as subcontractors. If a quote from an SDB is the lowest received for that portion of the work, if that quote is responsive, and if the prime bidder determines that SDB is responsible, then the prime bidder shall commit to award a subcontract to that SDB.
Acceptable Proactive Solicitation
A Reasonable Effort Award Amount (REAA) for each Separate Prime contract is determined by the System and is provided in the Special Instructions to Bidders. The REAA is established based on the project's scope of work, the contract's scope, and the current demographics concerning ready, willing, and able SDB subcontractors in an appropriate geographic area.
Submission Requirements for Evidence of Proactive Solicitation
Bidders must show proof of their proactive solicitation by submitting a completed SDB Solicitation Form with their bid.
Detailed instructions regarding the SDB Program are available to System university employees in the Manual for the Procurement and Administration of Construction Contracts.