(Washington, DC) The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) Office of Civil Rights is hosting an open house to launch the FY 2012 Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE) Supportive Services Small Business Development Program on Wednesday, October 19, 2011.

Funded by the US Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, the DBE Supportive Services Program assists eligible DDOT and Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority (WMATA) certified DBE firms and other small businesses in highway construction and civil engineering. The DBE Supportive Services Program helps small businesses build their business capacity and compete for opportunities on DDOT’s federally-funded highway construction projects. Firms certified with DDOT are also certified with WMATA, an advantage in competing for federally-funded construction opportunities at either agency.

Firms attending the open house will have an opportunity to meet the team of professionals that provide the program’s technical assistance services. These services include training sessions, workshops and forums in business management, marketing, construction estimating, bonding and accounting.

Questions about the DBE Supportive Services Program may be directed to Linda Fennell or Mike Licht at the DDOT’s Business Opportunity and Workforce Development Center at 202-645-8620.

The event is free and open to the public. To attend please RSVP to Myra Maultsby by Monday, October 17 at dbeevents@yahoo.com.

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is committed to ensuring that no person is excluded from participation in, or denied the benefits of, its projects, programs, and services on the basis of race, color, national origin, or gender, as provided by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 or on the basis of disability as provided by the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you need special accommodations or language assistance services (translation or interpretation) for this event, please contact Linda Fennell at (202) 645-8620 or Linda.Fennell@dc.gov 48 hours in advance of this event. These services will be provided free of charge.