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Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program (DBE)

DBE means a small business concern which is at least 51 percent owned by one or more socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, or in the case of any publicly owned business, at least 51 percent of the stock of which is owned by one or more socially and economically disadvantaged individuals; and whose management and daily business operations are controlled by one or more of the socially and economically disadvantaged individuals who own it.

Socially and economically disadvantaged individuals means those individuals who are citizens of the United States (or lawfully admitted permanent residents) and who are:

  • Black Americans, which includes persons having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa.
  • Hispanic Americans, which includes persons of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American or other Spanish or Portuguese culture or origin, regardless of race.
  • Native Americans, which includes persons who are American Indians, Eskimos, Aleuts or Native Hawaiians.
  • Asian Pacific Americans, which includes persons whose origins are from Japan, China, Taiwan, Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, the Philippines, Samoa, Guam, the U. S. Trust Territories of the Pacific, and the Northern Marianas.
  • Asian Indian Americans, which includes persons whose origins are from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
  • Women, regardless of race, ethnicity, or origin.
  • Other individuals found to be socially and economically disadvantaged by the Small Business Administration (SBA) pursuant to Section 8(a) of the Small Business Act.

The following resource centers will be utilized as needed:

Eastern North Carolina Minority Business Council (ENMBC)
P.O. Box 1432
Rocky Mount, NC 27802

North Carolina Department of Transportation
P.O. Box 25201
Raleigh, NC 27611-5201

Civil Rights Officer
US DOT – FTA
1720 Peachtree Road, NW.
Suite 400
Atlanta, GA 30309 404-347-3948

Certification Procedures

To ensure that its DBE program benefits only firms owned and controlled by minorities or women, The City of Rocky Mount shall certify the eligibility of DBEs and joint ventures involving DBEs that are named as competitors using the attached Schedules A and B in accordance with Sections 23.51 and 23.53 and Appendices B and C of 49 CFR Part 23. DBEs not part of a joint venture should complete Schedule A. Joint ventures that include DBE companies should complete Schedule B. The City of Rocky Mount will accept certifications made by the North Carolina Department of Transportation and the Small Business Administration. The City of Rocky Mount shall require their prime contractors to make good faith efforts to replace a DBE subcontractor that is unable to perform successfully with another DBE. The City of Rocky Mount shall approve all substitutions of subcontractors before bid opening and during contract performance, in order to ensure that the substitute firms are eligible DBEs.

To verify the eligibility of DBEs the following documentation will be required:

  1. Signature cards for deposits;
  2. Articles of Incorporation;
  3. Stock transfer registration information (if applicable);
  4. Tax returns from the previous two (2) years; and
  5. Resumés of principal owners;

In addition the City of Rocky Mount may also evaluate loan agreements, vehicle ownership, and whose name(s) are on the licenses needed for the business.

An on-site inspection of the office and/or operating facility as well as an interview of the owner(s) will be conducted gathering information on the daily control and operation of the business. There will be an analysis of bonding capacity, financial capacity, and type of work preferred.

DBEs certified by other DOT assisted entities may provide proof of eligibility under that entities certification procedures. Small business concerns certified under the Section 8(a) of the SBA will be accepted.

Once certification has been approved the business/individual will be notified that is has been certified and the duration of the certification. If the certification has been denied the business/individual will be notified of the grounds for the denial in sufficient detail to permit the applicant to make the necessary adjustments and apply for certification at a later date.

Certification Appeals Process

  1. A business/individual that believes that it has been wrongly denied certification on the basis of a determination under The City of Rocky Mount certification process may file an appeal with the Department of Transportation.
  2. An adversely affected party to a proceeding under Section 23.69, challenging the presumption of social and economic disadvantage of an owner of a business that is certified or that seeks certification, may also file an appeal under these procedures.
  3. During the appeal process, The City of Rocky Mount’s determination that the business/individual is or is not a DBE remains in effect unless otherwise advised by the Department of Transportation in writing.
  4. The appeal must be filed not later than 180 days after a final determination has been made by The City of Rocky Mount;
  5. Following submission of an appeal, the Department will conduct an investigation pursuant to the Department’s Title VI investigation procedures; and
    1. The Secretary will make one of the following determinations:
      1. The DBE or joint venture is certified;
      2. The DBE or joint venture is not eligible to be certified or to participate as a DBE in DOT-assisted contracts and procurements until a new application for certification is formally approved by The City of Rocky Mount; or
      3. The challenged party in a proceeding under Section 23.69 is or is not socially and economically disadvantaged.

Tar River Transit’s proposed DBE goal for Federal Fiscal Year 2020-2022 is 1%.

Tar River Transit
PUBLIC NOTIFICATION
Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Goal
Federal Fiscal Years 2022 – 2024

Tar River Transit (TRT) has established a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) participation goal of 1.00% in Federal Transit Administration funded transportation programs for Federal Fiscal Years 2022-2024 within Region IV. It is anticipated that Tar River Transit will meet its participation goal of 1% solely through race neutral measures.

Details on how this goal was established will be available for review from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. at the Transit Managers Office, 100 Coastline Street, Suite 315, Rocky Mount, NC, 27802.

Public comments on the goal will be accepted up to forty-five (45) days following the date of this notice. Public comments and/or written questions regarding this goal may be directed to Todd Gardner, TRT Director, P.O. Box 1180, Rocky Mount, NC 27802.

DBE businesses are encouraged to inform TRT of available products or services.

Please write to:
Todd Gardner, Tar River Transit Director
P.O. Box 1180
Rocky Mount, NC 27802
[email protected]
252-972-1174

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