The mission of the San Diego Community College District’s Propositions S & N Contractor Outreach Program is to:
Diversify the pool of firms that bid and contract with the District by promoting participation opportunities for small, disadvantaged or historically underutilized businesses that lead to success and progressive, sustainable growth.
Overview 
The San Diego Community College District’s (SDCCD) Contractor Outreach Program is in place to promote the increased utilization, capacity-building and sustainability of small and historically underutilized businesses on Propositions S and N projects. The District is committed to working with local trade, contracting and business organizations to make sure that local contractors, subcontractors, professional services providers, vendors and suppliers are aware of and have every opportunity to participate in the construction bond projects. Targeted businesses include those firms certified as or eligible for certification as one or more of the following:
Contract Opportunity Notices
Bid notices for individual projects are posted in the Bidding and Plan Room. These notices are shared with an extensive list of subcontracting, trade and business organizations for distribution to relevant and interested membership. Bid notifications are also sent to firms meeting the following criteria:
Bid notices are posted and distributed by the San Diego Contracting Opportunities Center (SDCOC) – one of the District’s outreach partners. The SDCOC utilizes the federally-mandated Central Contracting Registration (CCR) database and the resources of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) in identifying certified Small Business Enterprises (SBE) and Small Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (SDBE). The SDCOC notifies locally registered small businesses of bid opportunities, available training and technical assistance resources.
Long-term forecasting of construction contract opportunities is available on Propositions S & N program schedules, updated monthly.
Plan Rooms for Viewing Contract Documents
The District provides plans and specifications to plan rooms throughout the county for contractors, subcontractors, vendors and other service providers to view the contract documents free of charge.
Prequalification – Contractors are required to complete the Propositions S & N Prequalification Application if bidding projects of $500,000 or more. S/D/M/W/DVBEs are strongly encouraged to complete the prequalification application, and to pursue Propositions S & N contracting opportunities. Prequalification is not required for bidding projects with values below the $500,000 threshold; and bonds are not required on projects with values of $25,000 or less.
Design/Build Subcontracting Plan for Small & Historically Underutilized Businesses
All proposals for Design/Build projects are required to include if a 
Subcontracting Plan for Small and Historically Underutilized Businesses as defined in the Contractor Outreach Program. The Plan should provide a clear rationale of Design Builder’s proposed outreach efforts and goals. Scoring takes into account the proposers commitment to diversity and past performance.
Outreach Activities
The District coordinates with the SDCOC to host workshops to provide information on upcoming projects, guidance on the types of technical assistance available and how to access such assistance, and opportunities where subcontractors and prime contractors are able to network and exchange information. Pre-bid workshops are held with prime contractors and construction managers in order to provide potential subcontractors information about pending bid opportunities and include information about prequalification requirements. An annual Contractors Networking and Outreach Event brings local general contractors and primes together with small and historically underutilized businesses to explore potential subcontracting opportunities.
Definitions
Small Business Enterprise (SBE)
In order to be considered a “small business” as determined by the State of California, businesses must meet these eligibility requirements:
- Must be independently owned and operated;
- Cannot be dominant in its field of operation;
- Must have its principal office located in California;
- Must have its owners (or officers in the case of a corporation) domiciled in California; and
- Together with its affiliates, be either:
- A business with 100 or fewer employees and an average annual gross receipts of $14 million or less (over the previous three tax years), or
- A manufacturer with 100 or fewer employees.
Reference: California Department of General Services
http://www.pd.dgs.ca.gov/smbus/sbcert.htm
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Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE)
- The firm must be at least 51% owned by one or more socially and economically disadvantaged individuals.
- The firm must be an independent business, and one or more of the socially and economically disadvantaged owners must control its management and daily operations.
- Only existing for-profit “Small Business Concerns,” as identified by the Small Business Act and Small Business Administration (SBA), may be certified. DBE applicants are first subject to the applicable small business size standards of the SBA. Second, the average gross receipts for the firm (include its affiliates) over the previous three fiscal years must not exceed must not exceed the U. S. Department of Transportation (DOT) cap of $20.41 million.
- The Personal Net Worth (PNW) of each socially and economically disadvantaged owner must not exceed $1.32 million, excluding the individual’s ownership in interest in the applicant firm and the equity in his/her primary residence.
Socially and economically disadvantaged individual means any individual who is a citizen or lawfully admitted permanent resident of the United States and who is a member of the following groups:
- African American
- Hispanic American
- Native American
- Asian-Pacific American
- Subcontinent Asian American
- Women
- Any individual found to be social and economically disadvantaged on a case-by-case basis by certifying agency pursuant to the standards of the U.S. DOT 49 CFR Part 26.
Reference: California Department of Transportation
http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/bep/downloads/Word/Application_for_Regular_DBEs_2.22.08.doc
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Minority Business Enterprise (MBE)
"Minority-owned business" means (1) a business enterprise (a) that is at least 51% owned by a minority individual or group(s) or (B) if a publicly owned business, at least 51% of the stock of which is owned by one or more minority groups, and (2) whose management and daily business operations are controlled by one or more of those individuals. The contracting utility shall presume that minority includes, but is not limited to, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, Asian Pacific Americans, and other groups.
Reference: California Unified Certification Program
http://162.15.7.24/PUBLISHED/GENERAL_ORDER/59939.htm
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Disabled Veteran-Owned Business Enterprise (DVBE)
- The firm must be at least 51% owned, managed and operated by one or more service disabled veterans, or
- In the case of a publicly owned business, at least 51% of the stock must be owned, and the business managed and operated by service disabled veterans.
Reference: Department of Veterans Affairs
http://www4.va.gov/vetbiz/vip/eligible.htm
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Women Business Enterprise (WBE)
A WBE is a business owned and controlled by one or more women. Owned and controlled means that at least 51% of the small business concern is owned by one or more women; and whose management and daily business operations are controlled by one or more women who own it.
Reference: California Department of Transportation
http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/bep/downloads/pdf/SMBE_Cert_App.pdf
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Related Resources
Government
Contractor Resources
SDCCD Outreach Program Contact Information
Ursula Kroemer
Outreach Coordinator
619.819.5484
ukroemer@sdccd.edu