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LAUSD to Conduct Small Business Boot Camp

Los Angeles Unified School District

SMALL BUSINESS BOOT CAMP

SEMINAR SCHEDULE FALL 2012

The Small Business Boot Camp seminars will begin September 12, 2012 and will take place every Wednesday (except September 26th) from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm.

All seminars will be at the District Headquarters located at 333 S. Beaudry Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90017.

Course Seminars include:

Bonding & Certification

How to Develop a Safety Plan

LAUSD Contractor Prequalification

How to Bid on Informal and Formal Contracts

Public Contract Law

Access to Capital & Governing Tax Guidelines

Labor Compliance, Project Stabilization Agreement

& We Build Program

The Principles of Estimating & Scheduling

Mock Bidding

10-Hour Construction Safety and Health Outreach Program

You may register at www.laschools.org/sbe.

Contact Person: Ken Billups at 213.241.5204 or Kenneth.billups@lausd.net.

PROCUREMENT SERVICES DIVISION

SMALL BUSINESS ENTERPRISE PROGRAM

High-Speed Rail Industry Forum

Industry Forum: August 14, 2012 California High-Speed Rail Authority to Highlight Central Valley Construction Packages 2, 3 & 4 The California High-Speed Rail Authority is hosting an Industry Forum on August 14, 2012 at the Save Mart Center on the California State University Fresno campus. The event will provide firms interested in pursuing High-Speed Rail contracts with an overview of the Request for Qualifications, scheduled for release in September. The general session will be followed by a teaming event, where potential prime contractors will be encouraged to set up an exhibition area in order to provide information to and gather information from Small Businesses, Disadvantaged Business Enterprises, and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprises who attend the event. As a reminder, the California High-Speed Rail Authority has established an overall Small Business goal of 30%. For updated event details, visit http://www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov/forum.aspx  Location: California State University Fresno, Save Mart Center 2650 East Shaw Avenue, Fresno, CA 93710 Complimentary onsite parking will be available. Agenda: 7:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.          Registration 8:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.        Program and Presentation 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.        Meet-the-Primes Networking Registration: The event is free and open to the public. To expedite the registration process in the morning, we highly advise attendees to pre-register for the event. Pre-Registration closes Friday, August 10 at 10:00 am. We ask that businesses please pre-register at http://cahsr.pbcommentsense.com/forum.aspx . Onsite registration will also be available the day of the event. Networking Recommendations: Due to the number of attendees expected, we encourage all attendees to bring handouts highlighting your business. These should detail your interest, your services, any applicable license(s) or certification(s), and your contact information. If you have questions, please contact SBProgram@hsr.ca.gov. Any individual with a disability who requires reasonable accommodation to attend or participate may request assistance by contacting the Authority no later than August 9 at SBProgram@hsr.ca.gov.

SBA Proposed Additional Changes to Size Definitions for Small Business

The U.S. Small Business Administration is seeking comment on three proposed rules published in The Federal Register that would revise the size definitions for small businesses in the Utilities; Construction; and Arts, Entertainment and Recreation sectors.  The proposed revisions reflect changes in marketplace conditions. 

The proposed rule for the Utilities sector will revise the size standard for nine industries.   The rule proposes changing six of the industries dealing with electric power generation, distribution and transmission from revenue-based size standards to an employee based size standard of 500 employees.

It would also increase the size standards for the remaining three industries in the Utilities sector from $7 million to $25.5 million for water supply and irrigation systems, $7 million to $19 million for sewage treatment facilities, and $12.5 million to $14 million for steam and air conditioning supply.   SBA estimates as many as 400 additional firms in this sector would become eligible for SBA programs as a result of these revisions.

SBA also proposed increases in size standards for one industry and one sub-industry in the Construction sector.  Specifically, SBA proposed to increase the size standard for Land Subdivision from $7 million to $25 million and from $20 million to $30 million for businesses engaged in Dredging and Surface Cleanup activities.  SBA estimates that more than 400 additional firms will become eligible for SBA’s programs and services, if adopted.   

The SBA’s third proposed rule would increase the small business size standards for 17 industries in the Arts, Entertainment and Recreation sector.   As many as 1,450 additional firms could become eligible for SBA’s programs and services if the proposed increases are adopted. 

Comments can be submitted on these proposed rules on or before September 17, 2012, at www.regulations.gov, identified by the following RIN numbers: 

1.         Proposed Rule:  Small Business Size Standards; Utilities (NAICS Sector 22) (RIN 3245-AG25)

2.         Proposed Rule:  Small Business Size Standards; Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (NAICS Sector 71) (RIN 3245-AG36)

3.         Proposed Rule:  Small Business Size Standards; Construction (NAICS Sector 23) (RIN 3245-AG37)

You may also mail comments to Khem R. Sharma, Chief, Size Standards Division, 409 3rd St., SW, Mail Code 6530, Washington, DC  20416.

As part of an ongoing review of all size standards, the SBA takes into account the structural characteristics within individual industries, including average firm size, the degree of competition, and federal government contracting trends to ensure that small business size definitions reflect current economic conditions within those industries.  Under provisions in the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, SBA will continue its comprehensive review of all size standards for the next several years. 

The revisions to the size standards in these sectors will enable more small businesses to retain their small business status; will give federal agencies a larger pool of small businesses to choose from for small business procurement opportunities and help eligible small businesses benefit from SBA’s loan programs. 

From SBA News Release on July 18, 2012.

Don't Miss Calcon's Meet the Primes

Meet the Design-Build Primes

California Construction Expo is pleased to invite the construction and design community to learn more about establishing relationships and teaming opportunities for upcoming construction projects utilizing the design-build delivery method.

Large General Contractors and Design Firms will be on hand to share their plans for bidding, and what you can bring to their team. Please bring plenty of business cards and marketing material to share.

Primes Participating:

AECOM, Balfour Beatty, Clark, Dragados, Fluor, Hensel Phelps, HNTB, Jacobs, Kiewit, Manson Construction, McCarthy, Parsons, Parsons Brinckerhoff, PCL, Shimmick, Skanska, Turner, URS

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

                                 1:00 pm - Registration

1:20 pm - Facilitated Matchmaking

5:00 pm - Program Concludes

VIP Reception following program

Pasadena area location to be provided upon completed registration.

IMPORTANT REGISTRATION INFORMATION:

ADVANCE REGISTRATION REQUIRED. To accommodate all interested participants, only one (1) representative per company will be admitted. Participation in the CalCon Expo Meet the Design-Build Primes matchmaking event is limited to construction contractors, construction suppliers, and architectural, engineering, and design professionals. Purchase of an admission to the Meet the Design-Build Primes will include a complimentary Limited Access Pass to the California Construction Expo on Thursday, August 2, 2012, at the Pasadena Convention Center. For more information, visit http://calconmatchmaking2012.eventbrite.com/

Caltrans Announces Major Changes to DBE Program

Changes effective June 15, 2012.

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program waiver which was granted in August 2008 and extended through September 2010. The waver allows Caltrans to set contract goals for some, but not all, certified DBEs. In early May, Caltrans received a letter from the U. S. Department of Transportation (US DOT) stating the Uniform Reports submitted by Caltrans to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) on DBE awards and commitments covering Fiscal Years 2007 through 2011 show levels of underutilization of Hispanic-Americans and Subcontinent-Asian-Americans owned DBEs sufficient to warrant terminating the Caltrans DBE Program waiver. Therefore, race-conscious measures (i.e. contract goals) used by Caltrans to meet its overall DBE goal must include all certified DBEs, including Hispanic-American and Subcontinent-Asian-American contactors. All Federal-aid contracts with DBE goals advertised by Caltrans after June 15, 2012, must ensure the contract goals apply to all DBEs. Additionally, all Federal-aid local agency-administered contracts with DBE goals authorized after June 30, 2012, must ensure the goals apply to all DBEs.   The letter from US DOT requires that Caltrans adjust its race-neutral and race-conscious split to make proper use of race-neutral and race-conscious means, consistent with 49CFR 26.51, that will allow Caltrans to meet its overall DBE goal. The FHWA recognizes these program modifications require Caltrans to make several process changes and has granted Caltrans some flexibility in adjusting its race-neutral and race-conscious split.   If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Rene Halverson, Assistant Director, Office of Business & Economic Opportunity, at 916.324.0990.

House Passes Small Business Contracting Bills

Eight bills meant to make it easier for small businesses to win federal contracts has won approval in the House of Representatives and has moved on the U. S. Senate. It's not clear what will happen to the bills even with Senate approval because the measures are attached to a defense spending bill that President Obama has threatened to veto. The eight contracting bills were attached to the defense bill to guaranteed they would make it to the House floor, according to D.J. Jordan, spokesman for the House Small Business Committee, which sponsored the bills. The contracting bills include: —The Government Efficiency Through Small Business Contracting Act, which would raise from the current 23% to 25% the amount of federal contracting dollars that should go to small businesses. —The Small Business Advocate Act, which would make it easier for the Offices of Small and DisadvantagedBusiness Utilization in federal agencies to advocate for small business contracts. —The Subcontracting Transparency and Reliability Act, which makes it easier for the government to stop large businesses from winning contracts by using small companies to front for them and would allow more small businesses to team up to win contracts. —The Small Business Opportunity Act, which would make small business advocates part of the federal contracting process. —The Building Better Business Partnerships Act, which would Allow the Small Business Administration to oversee 13 current mentorship programs for small businesses. —The Small Business Protection Act, which would revamp the SBA's size standards, or the measure it uses to determine what a small business is. —The Contractor Opportunity Protection Act, which would overhaul the appeals process for contract bundling. Bundling is the process that brings a number of small companies together to provide goods or services to fulfill one large government contract. —The Contracting Oversight for Small Business Jobs Act, which is intended to fight fraud in contracting.