CDABP OUTREACH WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS
Councilmember John Lee
John Lee , City of Los Angeles Councilmember
help local small and diverse contractors .
Hosted on April 13 , 2023 by Los Angeles City Councilman John Lee , CDABP ’ s “ Navigating City Contract Opportunities ” outreach workshop informed local small and diverse construction contractors about opportunities available to them through the city ’ s Contractor Development and Bonding Program ( CDABP ), administered by Merriwether & Williams Insurance Services ( MWIS ).
The growth and development of small and diverse contractors are priorities for the city ’ s elected officials , which led them to launch the CDABP years ago . The CDABP is a diversity , equity , and inclusion ( DEI ) program which offers technical assistance , financial support ( such as helping contractors secure bonds , so they can bid on public contracts ), and other capacity-building services to
Councilmember Lee spoke about the importance of getting the help needed to overcome the inherent challenges of public contracting . “ As many of you have experienced , bonding can sometimes be an obstacle to participating in public construction opportunities ,” he said . “ But the CDABP assists contractors in obtaining bonds and increasing your bonding capacity .”
Ernie Moreno , owner and president of Marne Construction , described how the CDABP was integral to his success in procuring a $ 9.7 million contract with Los Angeles World Airports ( LAWA ). “ We didn ’ t have that trust with the bonding agencies or with the banks to be able to get the bonding for the size that this project required ,” he explained , “[…] so we needed the bonding to be able to cover that project , which was pretty hard
“ As many of you have experienced , bonding can sometimes be an obstacle to participating in public construction opportunities . But the CDABP assists contractors in obtaining bonds and increasing your bonding capacity .”
– – John Lee , City of Los Angeles Councilmember
FALL 2023 LA CONTRACTOR CONNECTION - 07