Need to build your client base? Consider participating in one of the 15 US DOT BEPs

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Bonding Education Program (BEP) is well underway this year with twelve of fifteen BEPs scheduled. NASBP is a participant for a second year in a row in the effort, a partnership between the Surety and Fidelity Association of America and DOT’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) that is designed to help small businesses become bond-ready and better able to compete for transportation contracts.

Already this year the cities of Chicago, Illinois; Kansas City, Missouri; Birmingham, Alabama; and Columbia, South Carolina have completed their Workshops. The remaining 2012 BEPs will be held in Montgomery, Alabama; Louisville, Kentucky; Oakland, California; Salt Lake City, Utah; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Albany, New York; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Denver, Colorado; Portland, Oregon; Houston, Texas; and Norfolk, Virginia. The schedule below is the most current information that DOT has provided to NASBP – check back to the NASBP web site for updates to the BEP DOT Workshop Schedule by clicking here.

The next issue of Pipeline will report on the success stories that the DOT plans to provide NASBP.

During the Chicago BEP, NASBP Producer Jim Sulkowski (standing) presented a seminar on the proper completion of the contractor questionnaire.
Though the Chicago BEP has taken place, Members continue to meet with some of the owner participants. This picture is provided courtesy of the US DOT.

Louisville, KY
Workshops begin: May 31 – Time and location TBD
Contact: George Jones, Project Dir., US DOT Small Business Transportation Resource Center at (336) 256-2111 or gcjones@ncat.edu

Albany, NY
Workshops have not been scheduled at this time.
Contact: Elizabeth Perdomo, Project Director US DOT Small Business Transportation Resource Center, (718) 482-5941, eperdomo@lagcc.cuny.edu

San Francisco/ Oakland, CA
Workshops began: April 18 (Workshops will meet 4/18, 4/24, 5/1, 5/8, 5/16, 5/22, 5/30, and 6/6, at 4 pm) at the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, Joseph B. Port MetroCenter, 101 Eighth St., Third Floor, Oakland, CA
Contact: Scott Leslie, Project Dir., US DOT Small Business Transportation Resource Center at (916) 443-5957 or sleslie@calasiancc.org

Oklahoma City, OK
Workshops begin: May 24 (Workshops will meet from 9am-4pm Thursdays through June 14) at the Francis Tuttle Technology Center, 12777 N. Rockwell Ave, Oklahoma City, OK
Contact: Tony Arps, Project Coordinator, US DOT Small Business Transportation Resource Center at (214) 523-3415 or tony@gdhcc.com

Montgomery, AL
Workshops begin: May 17 from 9am-12pm (Remaining workshops will meet May 24, June 7, and 14th from 1pm-4pm) at the Alabama DOT Central Office, 1409 Coliseum Blvd., Montgomery, AL
Contact: Adriana Clark, Project Dir., US DOT Small Business Transportation Resource Center at (305) 237-8523 or aclark1@mdc.edu

Philadelphia, PA
Workshops: Workshops will meet each Thursday through May 10 at 6 pm at the Cheyney University – Center City Campus, 701 Market Street – 3rd Floor, Philadelphia, PA
Contact: Jacqueline Jenkins, Executive Director, US DOT Small Business Transportation Resource Center at (215) 496 9100 x184 or jjenkins@milligancpa.com

Denver, CO
Workshops: Workshops will meet each Tuesday through May 8 at 5:30 pm at the Colorado Contractors Association, 6880 S Yosemite Ct., Ste 200, Centennial, CO
Contact: Lavonna Stathes Project Dir., US DOT Small Business Transport at 303-290-6611 or lstathes@ccainfo.org

Houston, TX
Stakeholders Meeting: May 15 at 10AM at the City of Houston-Bob Lanier Building, 611 Walker Street, 7th floor, Houston, TX
Contact: Diana Flores Project Dir., US DOT Small Business Transportation Resource Center at (214) 523-3432 or diana@gdhcc.com

Norfolk, VA
Stakeholders Meeting: First week of June – Time and location TBD
Contact: George Jones, Project Dir., US DOT Small Business Transportation Resource Center at (336) 256-2111 or gcjones@ncat.edu

Portland, OR
Stakeholders Meeting: May 4 at 1pm at123 NW Flanders St., Portland, OR
Contact: Lily Keeffe, Project Dir., US DOT Small Business Transportation Resource Center at (206) 718-7250 or lkeeffe@economicalliancesc.org

If you have an interest in learning more about participating as a producer in one of the U.S. DOT BEPs, visit NASBP.org under “Events” and “US DOT Bonding Education Program.” The site provides details about what information producers typically review with these small, emerging business owners as well as forms that are provided to help them assemble their financial documentation for surety credit. Contact the nearest U.S. DOT local representative listed in the BEP “Schedule” to let the local DOT representative know of your interest.