Released on = January 8, 2007, 9:59 am

Press Release Author = South Florida Water Management district

Industry =

Press Release Summary = South Florida Water Management District\'s Small Business
Program (SBE) is achieving results in certifying potential vendors and contractors.

Press Release Body = West Palm Beach, FL - The South Florida Water Management
District (SFWMD) is among the most progressive agencies in the State of Florida in
providing opportunities for small businesses, according to new data released this
week by the agency's procurement department. In the five months since the District
obtained rulemaking authority to create its Small Business Enterprise (SBE) Program,
542 small businesses have been certified by the District's procurement department as
potential vendors and contractors - exceeding in less than two quarters the agency's
first-year goal of 500 certified small business vendors.


The SFWMD SBE Program was adopted by the District's Governing Board on May 10, 2006
and became effective after rulemaking on August 3. Since then, the District has
received more than 700 SBE applications and certified nearly 77 percent of all
applicants.


The SBE Program offers additional consideration to small businesses in the
District's solicitation process. The rule includes provisions for bid equalization,
sheltered markets, points for SBE participation in proposals, and SBE subcontract
participation goals. A participating firm must be certified by the District and
demonstrate that its three-year average gross receipts, together with those of its
affiliates, do not exceed $13 million for construction, $5 million for commodities,
and $6 million for services.


"Small businesses play a vital role in our state economy, and through the District's
SBE Program, these firms will have new opportunities to participate in numerous,
important regional initiatives," said SFWMD Governing Board Chairman Kevin McCarty.
"We invite small businesses to become certified as SBE vendors, and we encourage
them to share in our vision to preserve and protect our area's unique natural
resources."


The SFWMD's track record of consistent, exponential growth in the hiring of
minority-owned and small businesses over the past six years is among the most
notable in the State of Florida. From 2000 to 2005, the District managed one of the
most successful Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) programs in the State, with more
than 800 certified minority vendors and an increase in minority expenditures from
$14.7 million to nearly $55 million during that timeframe - a surge of more than 370
percent. Former Governor Jeb Bush's One Florida initiative identified the
District's minority business program as a model for the State.


When the federal courts terminated the Miami-Dade County MBE Program in late 2005,
the District decided to transition to a race/gender-neutral program and immediately
pursued the creation of a small business program to replace its previous MBE
initiative.


An aggressive marketing plan that included direct outreach to more than 4,000 South
Florida businesses and a host of special events was implemented this past summer to
ensure the successful launch of the new SFWMD SBE Program. A new website also was
created at www.sfwmd.gov/sbe to assist interested firms in the application process
and provide all the requisite forms online.


"These outreach efforts demonstrate our agency's commitment to ensuring that its
vendors accurately reflect the diversity of the communities we serve," added SFWMD
Procurement Director Frank Hayden. "Our procurement staff has aggressively engaged
community leaders and government officials to help market the District's new SBE
Program and collectively develop incentives that will attract local businesses. We
are very excited about our results to date."


For certification information, small businesses are encouraged to contact Frank
Hayden directly at (561) 682-6043 or visit http://www.sfwmd.gov/sbe .

# # #

The South Florida Water Management District is a regional, governmental agency that
oversees the water resources in the southern half of the state - 16 counties from
Orlando to the Keys. It is the oldest and largest of the state's five water
management districts. The agency mission is to manage and protect water resources of
the region by balancing and improving water quality, flood control, natural systems
and water supply. A key initiative is cleanup and restoration of the Everglades.


Contact Us



Web Site = http://sfwmd.gov

Contact Details = Kayla Bergeron
South Florida Water Management District
3301 Gun Club Road
West Palm Beach, FL 33406
561-682-2017
kbergero@sfwmd.gov