Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (Block Grant)
The DBE Program is established by Title 49, Part 26 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Per Title 49, Part 26.21, FAA recipients receiving grants for airport planning or development who will award prime contracts exceeding $250,000 in FAA funds in a federal fiscal year are required to have an FAA approved DBE Plan or to have an FAA approved DBE Goal Update to the approved DBE Plan.
Title 49, Part 26 of the Code of Federal Regulations
Beginning in federal fiscal year 2012, DBE Plans for NH Block Grant airports encompass a 3-year period (fiscal years 2012-2014) and all DBE Plans or 3-year DBE Goal Updates to existing approved DBE Plans are due to the FAA on August 1, 2011. This means that an airport sponsor's Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) will likely be the best resource for developing the 3-year DBE Plan/Goal Update. Scoping for project(s) may or may not have taken place by August 1st so airport sponsors should use the latest CIP and other information that is available for preparing their DBE Plans/Goal Updates.
The US DOT Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization provides DBE Program guidance including forms, frequently asked questions, and a sample DBE Program. Additional DBE Program guidance can be found on the FAA's DBE Program Website.
The FAA DBE Compliance Specialist for NH airports is Thomas L. Knox, Jr., and his number is (310) 725-3942 and his e-mail address is Thomas.knox@faa.gov. He is also the approval authority for NH airports' DBE Plans/Goal Updates. An electronic copy of your airport's DBE Plan/Goal Update should be e-mailed to him but a paper copy may be sent to him at P.O. Box 92007, Los Angeles, CA 90009-2007. In addition, please provide the NHDOT with a copy, electronic or paper. Please note that FAA approval of your airport's DBE Plan/Goal Update is required prior to issuance of a grant offer.
The New Hampshire Department of Transportation maintains a DBE Program Web site that also contains DBE Program information as well as a directory of NH DBE Certified contractors, consultants, manufacturers and suppliers.
The FAA requires a report be submitted by December 1st of each year of all FAA funds awarded to DBEs during the previous fiscal year. This report can be submitted electronically through the dbE-Connect website.
NEW!! Federal regulations (49 CFR 26.55) require that DBE firms perform a “commercially useful function” in order to get credit for their work on an airport project. The NHDOT has prepared a checklist for its highway projects. Please use/modify this checklist to meet the needs of airport projects. This checklist (or something like it) should be filled out at least once during the project for each DBE firm doing work on the project and kept in the project file.