On Ramp to Small Business
Servicing San Diego and Imperial County
Volume 3, July 2020
Get to know the District 11 Director: Gustavo Dallarda
Growing up in the 2nd largest country in South America, Gustavo Dallarda (Gustavo) knew that he wanted to be a Civil Engineer at a young age. Having insight from his father, a contractor, framed his path to his ultimate career choice. In Argentina during that time, commuting by bus or bicycle often led you to your destination efficiently and faster than utilizing a personal vehicle; therefore, Gustavo did not own a car until later in life.
"Growing up in a different part of the world, I only saw California in movies." With Gustavo's love for travel, he completed his college career in the United States and pursued a Caltrans career thereafter. "I chose the Caltrans organization as it best aligned with what I wanted to do. I lived in different parts of the world and the US and have seen transportation from different views."
Having experienced different cultures, Gustavo recalled reading a study that indicated that the most efficient companies are the ones that operate with diversity. Those companies have the ability to incorporate different points of view, thus increasing morale. He sees Caltrans in the same light, incorporating diversity in our ranks and contracts. "We need to continue in making progress to be recognized for serving the public equitably and serve products and services efficiently."
Having many friends that are small business owners, Gustavo acknowledges the obstacles Small Businesses face. "Small Businesses are the pillars of our economies. We rely on small businesses on our contracts and need them to support larger companies as those larger companies were once a small business." Gustavo encourages those interested in working with Caltrans to reach out to the District's Small Business Team as there are many resources available to the small business community. He also strongly recommends being active and getting involved; the Small Business Council meetings and other outreach efforts are great networking opportunities to learn from sustained businesses.
San Diego being the second-largest city in California, "we deserve to have a world-class transportation system. We need all-hands-on-deck as there will be a lot of reliance on small businesses to get this done."
Certification Corner
Caltrans Certification Goals:
Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) - 5%
Small Business (SB) - 25%
Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) - 17.6%
Where do I get certified?
DBE:
https://dot.ca.gov/programs/civil-rights/dbe
SB/ SB-PW/ DVBE:
https://caleprocure.ca.gov
District 11 DBE/SB/DVBE Participation
Federally-Funded Contracts:
Major Construction for Federal Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 (October 2019 to June 2020)
Awarded Contracts: 7 totaling $39,058,838
Total DBE Commitment: $5,790,687(15%)
Architectural and Engineering (A&E) for Federal FY 2020 (October 2019 to current)
Awarded Contracts: Six totaling $16,121,787
Total DBE Commitment: $2,989,180 (15%)
State-Funded Contracts & Procurements:
(Quarters 1-3 of State FY 2019/20)
Total Spent - $71,502,998
Contracts - $67,952,331
Procurement - $3,550,667
Total SB Participation - $35,744,573 (50%)
Total DVBE Participation - $3,465,603 (5%)
Meet District 11's DVBE Advocate
Nick Buenviaje joined the United States Marine Corps in 2010, serving active duty and reserves as a tank gunner, commander, and tank platoon sergeant until 2018. As part of the Ground Combat Element Integrated Task Force, He was involved in the Marine Corps' first scientific assessment leading to the successful integration of females into combat roles and higher qualification standards for the tank community. He was selected to participate in an advisory committee to study how to implement new active protection weapon systems onto armored vehicles and was awarded Tanker of the Year by the USMC Tankers Association for achievement in leadership, weaponry, and fitness qualifications, and mentorship to junior Marines. Nick joined Caltrans in 2016, spending 2.5 years in the division of maintenance before taking a temporary assignment in The Public Information Office. He was recently hired as a Legislative Liaison.
Nick has worked to educate reservists on resume writing and gaining state employment. As the District DVBE advocate, he hopes to bring his experience to advocate for the Veteran Community while partnering with the Small Business team. Click here to contact Nick.
Upcoming Procurement Opportunities
Project (Location): IFB On-Call Pest Control Services
Contact: Nguyet Pham
Bid # 11A3136
Bid Due Date: 10/1/20 at 2:15 PM
For More Information on Bid # 11A3136, click the here to go to the Solicitation
Project (Location): Invitation for Bid (IFB) 11A3134, entitled Landfill Disposal Site Services located in San Diego County
Contact: Mark Richardson
Bid # 11A3134
Bid Due Date: 10/15/20 at 2:15 PM
For More Information on Bid # 11A3134, click the here to go to the Solicitation
Solicitation Resource Links:
Architecture & Engineering
To search upcoming A&E Contracts, click here.
To see the A&E Look ahead report, click here.
Construction
To locate major construction contracts, click here.
Construction Contract Awards click here.
To see the Construction 12-month look-ahead report, click here.
Commodities & Services
To view active commodities & service contracts, click here.
Want to learn how to do business with D11?
Workshops are offered monthly via WebEx for the remainder of 2020:
How to do Business with Caltrans – District 11 Workshop
WebEx – To register for the October Workshop click here.
Date: Tuesday, October 13, 2020
Start: 9:30 AM
End: 11:30 AM
How to do Business with Caltrans – District 11 Workshop
WebEx – To register for the November Workshop click here.
Date: Wednesday, November 18, 2020
Start: 9:30 AM
End: 11:30 AM
How to do Business with Caltrans – District 11 Workshop
WebEx – To register for the December Workshop click here.
Date: Tuesday, December 8, 2020
Start: 9:30 AM
End: 11:30 AM
Local Small Business Council Meeting
Caltrans Small Business Council for the San Diego Region was established to promote the effective implementation of federal and state requirements and assist with issues relating to participation in Caltrans contracts. We are continuing to provide forums in which interested small businesses can offer suggestions from their unique perspective in an advisory capacity on Caltrans' practices and procedures. The Small Business Council focuses specifically on Caltrans, District 11 contracts, which includes San Diego and Imperial counties.
The Council is comprised of individuals from business trade associations, Caltrans, construction industry representatives, public agency partners, and other businesses on an as-needed basis.
The last meeting for 2020 is scheduled for October 28th via WebEx. To receive the link to participate, please email D11.SmallBusiness@dot.ca.gov.
- Vol. 1, May 2020
- Vol. 2, July 2020
- Vol. 3, October 2020
- Vol. 4, November 2020
- Vol. 4, November 2020
Want Caltrans D11 to be a Guest Speaker?
Are you a member of an Association, Chamber of Commerce, or Committee?
Have Caltrans D11 speak during an upcoming event or meeting by contacting us at D11.SmallBusiness@dot.ca.gov
Schedule a One-to-One with the SB Team
Do you have questions on which certifications Caltrans recognize?
Do you need assistance navigating Caltrans' solicitation portals?
Do you need more resources on how to do business will Caltrans?
Schedule a free 30-minute virtual meeting with one of our Small Business Liaisons by emailing d11.smallbusiness@dot.ca.gov