The Southern Florida Minority Supplier Development Council in partnership with Ariel Business Group, the state-wide FDOT DBE Specialized Development Program provider.

The primary goal of the DBE Specialized Development Program is to increase the number of DBEs participating on FDOT contracts and the dollar percentage awarded to DBEs by providing assistance to Prime Contractors and facilitating the development of DBEs to obtain contracts.  This effort will be concentrated on the larger contracts identified by the Department including those contracts advanced in Secretary Prasad's 21st Century Transportation Plan. 

The FDOT DBE Specialized Development Program will:

Provide assistance, as directed by the Department, to Prime Contractors who are bidding on or have been awarded contracts identified by the Department as priority projects, including serving as a liaison or facilitator between the Prime Contractor and the DBE.

Develop and administer a mentor/protege program designed for established construction firms to move them from bidding as a subcontractor to bidding as a Prime Contractor.

Provide specialized assistance to Prime Contractors identified by the Department to have had historically low DBE participation on FDOT contracts.

Identify and provide access to publicly available  information technology related training, software and applications that will assist DBEs in increasing their level of technical expertise in handling the day-to-day operations of their businesses with a goal of producing DBEs whose technical bid proposals are sound and free of technical errors.