Small Business Transportation Resource Center for the Southeast Region

The Florida State Minority Supplier Development Council (FSMSDC) serves as the U.S. Department of Transportation Southeast Small Business Transportation Resource Center (SBTRC).

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Serving Alabama, Florida, and the territories of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands

SBTRC Services

Business Counseling

We provide one-on-one counseling in the areas of marketing, planning, financial, procurement and operational assistance. 

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Bonding Education Program (BEP)

The BEP consists of a comprehensive set of all-inclusive workshops designed to address how businesses can become bond-ready, as well as one-on-one sessions with local surety bonding professionals.

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Women & Girls in Transportation Initiative (WITI)

This program is designed to increase the participation of women in the transportation industry and prepare young women to become our nation’s future transportation leaders.

All Services

The Southeast SBTRC provides an array of technical assistance to build the capacity of small and disadvantaged businesses, including:

  • Business Analysis
  • Market Research & Procurement Assistance
  • General Management & Technical Assistance
  • Business Counseling & Coaching
  • Access to Bids
  • Regional Planning Committees
  • Liaison Between Prime Contractors and Sub-Contractors
  • Outreach/Conference Participation
  • Capital Access & Surety Bond Assistance
  • Women & Girls in Transportation Initiative (WITI)

Bonding Education Program (BEP)

BEP's Mission

To increase small businesses’ economic competitiveness by helping them become surety-bonded and compete for transportation-related contracts. It does this through education and resources that help these companies understand risk management, safety, workforce development and their own capabilities.

Helping Small Businesses Become Bond-Ready

Bonding Education Program works with the Small Business Administration (SBA) Surety Bond Program to connect SBA-approved bond producers with small businesses so they can become bond-ready. Becoming bondable is a challenge for many disadvantaged businesses and this program aims to help them grow by obtaining or building bonding capacity.

The BEP is a multi-component program, designed to address what businesses need to become bond-ready when competing for transportation-related contracts. Each BEP includes workshops with industry professionals for business development and one-on-one sessions with local surety bonding representatives to help small and disadvantaged business owners compile necessary components to complete a bond application. This program is tailored to businesses competing for transportation-related contracts.

To be considered for the program, applicants must be the primary owner(s), key manager(s) or administrator(s) of a business that meets the following criteria:

  • In business for at least two (2) consecutive years
  • Revenue of at least $250,000 annually
  • A minimum of two (2) full-time employees (including owner)
  • Past performance in transportation industry
  • Pursuing transportation-related contracts
  • Interested in satisfying credit, capacity and character evaluations in consultation with a surety representative
  • Has one of the following certifications/designations:
    • Small Businesses
    • DBE
    • HubZone
    • SDB
    • Service Disabled Veteran Owned Business
    • Veteran Owned Small Business
    • Women Owned Small Business
    • 8(a) Certification

Consultants, developers and engineering firms are not eligible for the program.

The company must also be capable of bidding on DOT-funded projects and commit to attend the series of workshops offered in its region. There is also a registration form that is required for entrance into the program.

The BEP is offered through DOT’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization and its network of Small Business Transportation Resource Centers (SBTRC) around the country.

The Bonding Education Program (BEP) process includes:

Stakeholders meeting

We meet with you to review the parameters of the BEP implementation in the local market, determine resource requirements and ascertain the role each stakeholder will play in carrying out the educational component and ensuring the program’s success.

Educational Workshops Component

Through a set of comprehensive workshops– your business receive a minimum of 10 hours of instruction:

  • Business and federal transportation project-specific workshops; in cooperation with primes, SBA, MBDA and other supportive services
  • A variety of topics covered by industry experts, such as, contracting law, accounting, operations safety plan, proposal writing, etc.
  • A closing workshop focused on networking and next steps

Bond-Readiness Component

We facilitate offers one-on-one interactions for your company with local surety bond producers who volunteer to help small businesses. The surety bond professionals work with each small business, on a case-by-case basis, to assemble the materials necessary for a complete bond application, and address any omissions or deficiencies that might impede successful underwriting of a bond. This is delivered through a network of SBA-approved surety associations that identify local surety professionals in your local area who volunteer help to become bondable or increase your bonding capacity.

Follow-up and Assistance

We coordinate and monitor the technical assistance provided to participants in the program. This includes helping you identify and secure bonding for subsequent transportation-related projects. An element of the follow-up assistance may include matching program participants to available transportation-related contracting opportunities.

The BEP is offered through DOT’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization and its network of Small Business Transportation Resource Centers (SBTRC) around the country. For additional information about the BEP program in the Southeast Region, please reach out to Henry Payoute, at [email protected], or (305) 762-6151 ext. 209.

Women & Girls in Transportation Initiative (WITI)

WITI's Mission

To increase the participation of women in the transportation industry and prepare young women to become our nation’s future leaders by creating ladders of opportunity through careers, internships, strategic partnerships and education.

About the Program

The US DOT Women & Girls In Transportation Initiative (WITI) offers an internship program enabling young women from colleges and universities across the country to participate.  The WITI internship program is administered through the department’s Small Business Transportation Resource Centers (SBTRC) which provide resources, technical assistance, and outreach to all 50 states and U.S. territories. Each SBTRC is responsible for placing qualified female college students in transportation-related internships throughout their regions.

The goals of the program are to increase the participation of women in the transportation industry and prepare young women to become our nation’s future leaders. To accomplish these goals, the program:

  • Creates opportunities toward careers and internships in the transportation industry.
  • Educates WITI participants on the exciting opportunities available in the transportation industry and inspires them to enter the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.
  • Establishes strategic partnerships through the creation of Women in Transportation Advisory Committees in each region.
  • Attracts and Retains female WITI participants in transportation fields.
  • Identifies barriers to economic competitiveness for women participating in the transportation industry and provides sustainability tools.

WITI Internship

The Women & Girls in Transportation Initiative (WITI) strives to get more women and girls involved in the transportation industry. This summer, we will give interns the opportunity to work at a small business or organization within the field. To qualify, a young woman must currently:

  • Attend an accredited Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, or Minority Serving Institutions
  • Be a junior or senior at an accredited college or university
  • Be pursuing a degree in a STEM-related field, including transportation, public administration, urban planning and political science

ATTENTION Transportation Small Businesses!

Do you want to create a unique opportunity for a college intern? At no cost to you?

The US DOT Women & Girls in Transportation Initiative (WITI) program places young women around the country in internships with a variety of companies, organizations, and transportation agencies every year. Interns are given the opportunity to gain real-world experience in the fields of their interest, while performing meaningful work with transportation executives, engineers and project managers.

This 2024 spring/summer, we are looking to place interns with companies/organizations that can use the support. If your company or organization is interested, please fill out the form below by March 2024, to help guide us on the internship opportunities available.

All we ask is that the internship provides the young woman with real on-the-job experience, skills and mentoring that are relevant to the transportation industry. The internship is 6-8 weeks (dependent on the company’s/intern’s availability).

Contact Us

KyShun Nicholas
Project Director
(305) 762-6151 ext. 207
[email protected]

Henry Payoute Jr.
Project Coordinator
(305) 762-6151 ext. 209
[email protected]

In a cooperative agreement with

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the US Department of Transportation Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization

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    ADDRESS

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    PHONE

    +12 (0) 345 678 9

    EMAIL

    [email protected]

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