Small & Disadvantaged Business Utilization (SDBU)
National SDBU Information
What is the Minority and Women Business Program? (top of page)
It is EPA policy that recipients of EPA financial assistance through grants, cooperative agreements and loans, award a fair share of contracts and procurements to small, minority and women's businesses. This policy applies to all contracts/procurements for supplies, construction, equipment and services under any EPA grant or cooperative agreement. It also applies to any Interagency Agreement where supplies, construction, equipment and services are being purchased. The program is based on the following principles:
1. A healthy, growing economy is fundamental to creating the opportunity for formation and growth of minority - owned businesses.
2. Greater economic independence for minority Americans will best be achieved through increased opportunities for private employment and business ownership.
3. Creativity, private entrepreneurship, and individual initiative will ultimately determine the success or failure of individual minority businesses.
4. Expanded involvement of the private sector is crucial to minority enterprise developmental efforts.
What provides EPA the authority to adopt and implement guidelines for procurement of construction, services and supplies from small, minority and women-owned businesses? (top of page)
EPA's authority to adopt and implement guidelines stems directly from Public Laws 99-499, 100-590, 101-507, 102-389, 101-549, Executive Orders 12138, 11625, 12432, and 40 CFR Parts 30, 31, 35 and 35.
What do recipients of EPA financial assistance need to do to meet the MBE/WBE and Small Business requirements? (top of page)
They must meet the requirements for the Program stated in 40 CRF 31.36(e), if they are a State, Local or Indian Tribal recipient or 40 CFR 30.44(b) if they are a Non-Profit or University:
- Include qualified MBE/WBE and Small Businesses on solicitation lists.
- Actively solicit MBE/WBE and Small Businesses.
- Divide procurements into small tasks.
- Provide delivery schedules which allow MBE/WBE and Small Business participation.
- Utilize the Small Business Administration and the Minority Business Development Agency.
- Require Prime Contractor to follow these affirmative steps.
- The grantee must negotiate a fair share goal for MBE/WBE participation with EPA.
- The grantee must report on actual utilization achieved.
What is a fair share objective and how is it determined? (top of page)
A fair share goal is an estimate of how much participation the grantee will strive to achieve, taking into consideration total project funding and the availability of qualified and willing MBEs and WBEs who are located in the relevant market area in which the procurements will take place. A fair share goal does not establish a quota for utilization of MBEs and WBEs, rather it represents a commitment on the part of the recipient or a prime contractor hired by the recipient to make a good faith effort to utilize MBEs and WBEs to the fullest possible extent to achieve the fair share goal.
How does the Agency know if a grantee or contractor has met their fair share goal? (top of page)
Grantees are required to report to EPA the amount of utilization they or their prime contractors were able to achieve by submitting quarterly summaries (via EPA Form 5700-52A). These reports state the total procurements done for the quarter and how much of those procurements went to MBEs and WBEs. The information is recorded in a National database and the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) is required to provide this information to Congress.
Regional Coordinator of the Small, Minority and Women Business Enterprise Program (top of page)
Contact the program coordinator, Mike Letourneau in the Office for Civil Rights, Enforcement & Environmental Justice at (206) 553-1687. In addition, you can visit the OSDBU website at: http://www.epa.gov/sadqfzsu/