Small and Minority Business Programs

Small Business Preference Program

The Small Business Preference Program helps ensure that small businesses receive a portion of the state’s total purchases of equipment, materials and supplies. Once a small business is certified, it may participate in the required bidding process. Bids under this program are solicited from small and regular bidders. The award will be made to the small business that submits the lowest responsive and responsible bid, provided the bid does not exceed by five percent the lowest responsive and responsible bid received from regular bidders. If the five percent requirement is not met, the award will be made to the regular bidder who has submitted the lowest responsive and responsible bid.

For more information, visit www.dgs.maryland.gov or call 410 767-4632.

Small Business Reserve Program

The Small Business Reserve Program, administered by the Department of General Services, is a pilot three-year program that became effective October 1, 2004. The law requires 22 state agencies to participate, reserving 10 percent of the value of their annual procurements for bidding by qualified small businesses as prime contractors.

Small business owners may register at the DGS Web site and click on the Small Business Reserve icon.

For more information, visit www.mdminoritybusiness.com or call 410 767-4270.

Minority and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program

The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) is the uniform certification agency for the state of Maryland. It conducts certification reviews for all state agencies, including MDOT agencies with federal regulatory responsibility, such as the Maryland Aviation Administration, the Maryland State Highway Administration and the Maryland Transit Administration. Companies that receive certification as a Minority Business Enterprise/Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (MBE/DBE) business gain greater exposure for work opportunities on state and federally funded projects. The names of all certified firms appear in the MBE/DBE directory, a reference manual that is widely distributed to all state departments and agencies, local governments, the contracting and business communities and the general public.

For more information, visit www.mdot.state.md.us or call 410-865-1269; toll-free: 1-800-544-6056.