Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT)
has created a Mentor Protégé Program to increase diversity and participation in the Diverse Business (DB) / Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program for contractors and consultants, with a focus on drawing in underserved and underrepresented companies. We provide a seamless process to assist mentor and mentee in navigating the program.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has created a Mentor Protégé Program to increase diversity and participation in the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program through outreach to underserved and underrepresented companies, which directly addresses PennDOT’s 2018
Disparity Study findings.
Our program’s mission is to further the development of DBEs, including but not limited to assisting them in moving into non-traditional areas of work and/or competing in the marketplace outside the DBE program via the provision of training and assistance from other firms. The Program encompasses elements of the prime construction and prime consulting markets for increased DBEs participation and to level the contracting playing field.
Goals provided by the consulting industry include:
Goals provided by the construction industry:
Further develop DBEs in the construction industry
Provide for a more direct relationship between a Prime Contractor and a DB/DBE
Help proteges obtain additional pre-qualification work codes and increase capabilities.
Proteges- The Program is open to all PA UCP-certified firms. A PAUCP-certified DBE firm can register as a PennDOT Business Partner during the Program and obtain an active qualifications package in ECMS. Protégés that are exploring new market expansion for new disciplines may also apply. PennDOT’s provisional or conditional qualifications may apply in certain circumstances.
Mentors– As it relates to the consultant industry, all firms eligible to submit statements of interest through PennDOT’s ECMS procurement process can serve as mentors, including Established professional transportation engineering, environmental, planning, or related firms in Pennsylvania with a history of successful project delivery. Mentors may be experienced prime or subconsultant firms registered as PennDOT Business Partners with an active qualifications package in PennDOT’s
Agree on type of work being sought,
geographic area, other factors
Establish desired subcontract size and any resource limitations
Review project advertisements for
desired work
Identify potential prime contractors
Communicate protégé’s capabilities to
prime
Communicate protégé’s capabilities to
prime
Prepare and Submit bid
Prepare and Submit bid
Protégé sets up meetings and assetment for the project’s development
After project is scheduled the Protégé will perform work
Protégé submits invoice to Prime through ECMS
Prime reviews invoice and pays protégé firm
Post-completion meeting with Prime
with performance evaluation
Project Advertised for an M/P Team
After 2 weeks, project is advertised
Statement of Interest (Proposal)
One Month or more to make
selection
IF PROTEGE WINS:
Notification of Award
IF PROTEGE LOSES:
– Prime requests de-brief meeting
with PennDOT to include protégé.
– Look for the next planned project*
Prepare and Submit Proposal
Signed contract by both PennDOT
and prime consultant
Formal notice to begin work
Includes PennDOT, Prime and
subconsultants
PennDOT issues work orders
Mentor/Protégé divide work based on
agreed-upon qualifications/division of labor
Protégé performs work and submits
to prime for QA/QC
Comments addressed and work is
submitted to PennDOT.
PennDOT reviews and accepts work
or asks for revisions
Protégé submits invoice to Prime
through ECMS.
Prime reviews invoice and pays
protégé firm
Formal consultant evaluation by
PennDOT is at completion of work order
Protégé gains increased
qualifications.