MENTOR-PROTÉGÉ PROGRAM

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has created a Mentor Protégé Program to increase diversity and participation in the Diverse Business (DB) / Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program for contractors and consultants, with a focus on drawing in underserved and underrepresented companies. We provide a seamless process to assist mentor and mentee in navigating the program

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Purpose & Goals

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has created a Mentor Protégé Program to increase diversity and participation in the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program through outreach to underserved and underrepresented companies, which directly addresses PennDOT’s 2018
Disparity Study findings.

Our program’s mission is to further the development of DBEs, including but not limited to assisting them in moving into non-traditional areas of work and/or competing in the marketplace outside the DBE program via the provision of training and assistance from other firms. The Program encompasses elements of the prime construction and prime consulting markets for increased DBEs participation and to level the contracting playing field.

Goals provided by the consulting industry include:

Provide an avenue to connect experienced PennDOT consultants with new and growing DBEs to assist with building or expanding their experience in the industry, including assisting them to move into non-traditional areas of consultation work,
Empower prime consultants (DBE or Non-DBE) to transfer knowledge through the project development process on active projects to help DBE firms grow to become self-sufficient and long-term business partners, and
Grow teaming relationships to include more underrepresented firms to improve participation and eradicate barriers to opportunities.

Goals provided by the construction industry:

Further develop DBEs in the construction industry
Provide for a more direct relationship between a Prime Contractor and a DB/DBE
Help proteges obtain additional pre-qualification work codes and increase capabilities.

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Eligibility

Proteges- The Program is open to all PA UCP-certified firms. A PAUCP-certified DBE firm can register as a PennDOT Business Partner during the Program and obtain an active qualifications package in ECMS. Protégés that are exploring new market expansion for new disciplines may also apply. PennDOT’s provisional or conditional qualifications may apply in certain circumstances.

Mentors– As it relates to the consultant industry, all firms eligible to submit statements of interest through PennDOT’s ECMS procurement process can serve as mentors, including Established professional transportation engineering, environmental, planning, or related firms in Pennsylvania with a history of successful project delivery. Mentors may be experienced prime or subconsultant firms registered as PennDOT Business Partners with an active qualifications package in PennDOT’s

I like to Mentor

I’d like to become a Protégé