(3)  Research – Find listings (DVBE – Disabled Veteran Business Enterprises)

State - California - Department of Small Busienss and DVBE Services at www.pd.dgs.ca.gov/smbus/default.htm. This database is the most complete and comprehensive. It also contains listings for Small Businesses certified in California (SBE).

Federal - CCR Directory at www.ccr.gov. You can search for DBE’s (Disadvantaged Business Enterprises), as well as DVBE’s. “Disadvantaged” Business Enterprises can include Minority, Women-owned and Small Business Enterprises (MBE/WBE/SBE), as well as Section 3 (really small) businesses. OBE means “Other” business enterprises which can include all of the above and more….

Keep your search in the CCR as simple as possible, for instance: check State in which the project applies; check whether it is Minority, Women, Disabled or Vietnam Veteran, whether it is construction or manufacturing and type in a key word applicable to trade or supply for which you are searching. Hit ENTER and print your search. Then go back and search for the next item, etc.

Then, because you must go to more than one source for listings, you might use:

• DVBE network at www.dvbe.net for DVBE’s;
• Caltrans - Dept of Transportation at www.dot.ca.gov/hq/esc/oe/ and
• CBSI at www.constructionbidsource.com.
• The State Contracting Resource Packet lists many more at www.documents.dgs.ca.gov/pd/smallbus/resource.pdf.

Print out the home page of each site to prove you went there and include that with your bid package. You may also perform searches on those sites.

From the listings you obtain, select those you wish to send a solicitation letter (Invitation to Bid). It is easier to make a “master list” for your own use stating Company Name, City, category(ies) for which you are contacting them and methods of contact. If follow up calls are required also add the date and results of the call. The following are examples of how a master list might look: