MOVEBR Program Aims to Increase Small Business Participation
Are you a small business owner and want to be engaged with the MOVEBR Program? If so, the MOVEBR program has an initiative to engage small businesses in relevant procurement opportunities and trainings. To be eligible for consideration of specialty service contracts made by direct appointment through the City-Parish, you must be registered in the Engineering and Specialty Service database.
The MOVEBR Small Business Outreach (SBO) Team has a goal of ensuring minority, women, and veteran owned companies have meaningful participation in the MOVEBR Program. Since the launch of the program, the team has hosted three workshops focused on Right-of-Way, Specialty Services, and Construction. Over 130 individuals attended these events. Each of these workshops were held to inform attendees about the MOVEBR Program and upcoming procurement opportunities. Presentations from these workshops can be found at movebr.brla.gov.
During a thorough review of the City-Parish procurement process for professional services, the MOVEBR team has identified opportunities to increase participation by minority, women and veteran owned companies. On November 26, 2019, the City-Parish Metro Council approved an increase to the threshold for procuring professional services through direct appointment by the Department of Transportation and Drainage from $50,000 to $150,000, thereby providing more opportunities for small businesses to compete.
If you are interested in doing business with the City-Parish for the MOVEBR Program, sign up here and provide information on your company’s services and experience. Submission of this information does not preclude any businesses, firms, or specialty service providers from participation on project team pursuits for MOVEBR projects.
In 2020, the SBO team will continue their efforts by exploring a Mentor Protégé Program, providing relevant training, and conducting outreach to inform interested parties about upcoming events and procurement opportunities.