The Georgia Department of Transportation is seeking to improve small business participation in government bidding through a new program that is being promoted by the federal government in Washington. The GDOT effort will, to some ex-tent, target Disadvantaged Business Enterprises, (DBEs). Purchasing opportunities when it comes to materials, profes-sional and technical services will be emphasized along with routine construction contract bidding.

GDOT is also reaching out to cities and counties across the state, which participates in the Local Maintenance and Im-provement Grant program to make a concerted effort to use small and disadvantaged businesses and report such use to GDOT.

The U.S. Small Business Administration general guideline for eligibility to be considered as a small or disadvantaged business prohibits annual receipts over a three-year period of time cannot exceed $22.41 million.

Additional information is available at: http://www.dot.ga.gov/doingbusiness/SBP/Pages/default.aspx