“The Strategic Plan is our 5-year roadmap for updating, expanding and maintaining the Port in a manner that includes and supports our community,” explains Boris, “As part of that, we are doing outreach to let community members know about our Micro-LBE projects, which we have worked hard to create by unbundling larger contracts.” A $4 Million engineering contract, for example, might be unbundled to create four $1 Million contracts, thereby allowing smaller businesses to bid on work that would otherwise have been beyond their bonding capacity and potentially beyond their public works experience level.
“This is an excellent vehicle to give smaller contractors opportunities to build capacity and gain experience with the Port,” adds Boris, “So, whenever there are more than two firms registered, we try to unbundle larger contracts to encourage the participation of Micro-LBEs.”
“The Port’s philosophy is to get value out of our project contracts while also supporting our communities,” states Elaine, “Our District 10 and Chinatown contracts are an example of our commitment to building capacity in adjacent communities.”
The Port Commission has led the charge on the Port’s contract team reaching out to the most under-utilized and underrepresented Micro-LBEs. Two years ago, the Port began holding contract “open houses” to promote all the available contracting opportunities, as well as presenting contractor workshops for their various RFPs. At one such event, a small woman-owned public relations firm attended, got in touch with the City’s Contract Monitoring Division, subsequently became certified as a Micro-LBE, and was able to bid on and win an as-needed public relations contract. Since then, five public relations firms have gotten certified through the Contract Monitoring Division. After another Port outreach event, Century Urban, a small real estate investment, advisory, and project management company, got certified as a Micro-LBE and won an as-needed real estate contract with the Port. These outreach events and workshops are held for contractors across the various trades. (Continued next page)
The Port of San Francisco’s Tiffany Tatum, Outreach Coordinator, and Boris Delepine, Contract Administrator.