The road to success is paved with stones that were not left unturned – in other words, exploring and putting to use free and low-cost local resources is a key component to any successful business development strategy, particularly in public works construction. Several free resources exist for East Bay contractors to get help with business skills, preconstruction, construction planning, project search, bidding assistance, contracting opportunities, upcoming events, and using agency portals and industry software.
Below is a short list of those resources and an overview of services offered (click on the respective hyperlinks for more details):
- The Contractor Technical Assistance Program is sponsored by Alameda County to provide small local contractors with individualized capacity assessments and support, including bonding assistance, group trainings on a topics ranging from safety to joint ventures, networking with primes and more. Sign up for our East Bay Contractor Weekly to get notified of a wide range of pre-bids, bids, outreach and training events, networking opportunities and more.
- The San Francisco Builders Exchange is a professional association of general and sub-contractors, building material dealers and other related businesses in the San Francisco Bay Area. The governing board of the Exchange is an elected cross-section of the construction industry. The principal objective of the Exchange is to further the professional interests of the construction community and to help members improve their businesses and profits.
- The Bay Area Builders Exchange can help your firm find more work. They offer the most complete plan room coverage of projects out to bid in the Bay Area. The Builders Exchange is a not-for-profit member association serving the construction industry since 1932.
- BuildingConnected (sometimes called “BC”) is a preconstruction / bid-management platform that helps general contractors (GCs), subcontractors, and owners streamline the bidding process, qualify trade partners, and manage risk. For GCs and owners, BuildingConnected Pro lets them send bid invitations to subcontractors, manage the responses, and compare submitted bids. There are costs for the pro versions of the software.
- The Alameda County GSA (General Services Agency) has a Procurement (Purchasing) Department. They manage contracts, competitive bidding, and purchasing for supplies and services used by all Alameda County departments. They also have a focus on small local, and emerging businesses (SLEB) in their contracting.
- Construction events are listed on Eventbrite throughout the Bay Area that are relevant to contractors. Recent events listed included “Construction Money Matters: How to Make Better Financial Decisions,” and construction project manager training. Many of the events listed are free.
- The Small, Local and Emerging Business (SLEB) program is designed to enhance contracting and procurement opportunities for small, local and emerging businesses within Alameda County by providing up to 10% bid preferences on eligible contracts. The program was developed to promote and foster inclusiveness and economic development, as well as provide on-going evaluation to ensure that all local businesses are provided equal opportunities in County contracting and procurement activities.
- Alameda County Public Works Agency has a Building Opportunities for Business (BOB) program that offers outreach, education, and technical assistance to small and local contractors / vendors for construction work. The program provides information on certifications and how to participate in public works bids. Additionally, you can contact Moses de los Reyes (510-670-5243) for compliance-related questions and Lupe Serrano (510-670-5993) for outreach.
