Construction Mentor Protégé Program

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), in collaboration with CPM Logistics, has established the Caltrans Construction Mentor Protégé Program (CMPP) across its twelve districts. The CMPP’s primary objective is to nurture the growth of nascent construction firms, particularly those that are small and disadvantaged, enabling them to effectively compete in Caltrans construction projects.

The program underpins CalSTA’s and Caltrans’ fundamental priorities—safety, equity, climate action, and economic prosperity—and advances the broader goals of Caltrans. Additionally, the CMPP aligns with Governor’s Executive Order No. S-11-06, which aims to foster the inception and expansion of businesses, as well as bolster contracting opportunities for small and emerging businesses within the State of California.

Our Vision

The vision for the Caltrans Construction Mentor Protégé Program (CMPP) is to empower emerging construction firms, especially those that are small and disadvantaged, by facilitating their engagement in the industry.

The CMPP aims to help these firms break through industry barriers and deliver on core competencies such as:

1. Relationships and Connections: Building a strong network within the construction sector.
2. Education, Resources, and Guidance: Providing the necessary knowledge, tools, and advice to thrive.
3. Caltrans Fluency: Ensuring a deep understanding of Caltrans’ processes and requirements.
4. Technical Skills: Enhancing the technical capabilities required for success in construction projects.

Through this support, the CMPP strives to enable these firms to compete effectively in Caltrans Construction projects, contributing to a diverse and robust construction industry.

The Program

Each CMPP session will run six to eight months and will include interactive workshops and one-on-one mentoring sessions. There are no fees charged for participating in this program.

cmpp program diagram

Workshops

Program workshops provide interactive forums for protégé participants that:

Impart knowledge on the lifecycle of a Caltrans Public Works transportation improvement construction projects from pre-bidding to contract closeout,
Impart knowledge towards achieving the goals and objectives of the Program, and/or
Impart knowledge to address competency gaps in the protégés such as Relationships and Connections, Education, Resources and Guidance, Caltrans Fluency, Technical Skills and any other competency determined as necessary for the protégés to succeed.

Each workshop topic/presentation will be a collaboration between Mentor, Protégé, Caltrans Staff or a Subject Matter Expert. This approach provides supported facilitation and dialogue around the specific challenges and pain points for each participant.

One-on-one mentoring

Individual mentoring sessions provide an environment where Protégés can engage on details and questions that are specific to their individual circumstances. These sessions are excellent opportunities for developing deeper relationships and connections within the construction community. In this way, program facilitators and mentors can support the protégés in overcoming perceived barriers and limitations.

If you are interested in becoming a Mentor for one or more districts, you can apply at the link below. If you would like more information about this program, please contact us at constructionmentorprotege@dot.ca.gov

Participants and Eligibility

Participants of the program are the Program Sponsor, Mentors, Protégés, Facilitators and others.

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is the Sponsor of the Caltrans Construction Mentor Protégé Program.

Protégés are small and disadvantaged construction companies that have demonstrated some ability to succeed in the construction industry and have been in business for at least one year. They must hold an active California State License Board(CSLB) license with a Classification of ‘A - General Engineering Contractor’, ‘B General Building Contractor’ and/or one or more of the ‘C - Specialty Contractor’ licenses that perform work typical to Caltrans transportation construction contracts. Additionally, they should either have or be eligible for DBE (Disadvantaged Business Enterprise), DVBE (Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise), and/or SBE (Small Business Enterprise) certification.

Mentors are established and successful construction companies. They hold an active CSLB license and have a proven track record of successfully bidding and executing Caltrans transportation construction projects. Their willingness to help others succeed by sharing knowledge and expertise makes them valuable mentors.

Champions: Each Caltrans District will have a local Caltrans management level employee who will play a crucial role in supporting and advocating for the CMPP.

Co-Facilitator: CPM Logistics has been contracted by Caltrans to serve as a co-facilitator for this program.

Subject Matter Experts (SME): Volunteer professionals with advanced knowledge in specific subjects or fields. They contribute their expertise to enhance the program’s effectiveness.

If you have questions or would like more information about this program, please contact us at constructionmentorprotege@dot.ca.gov

Program Benefits

Small and Emerging Construction Contractors

Caltrans welcomes and encourages the participation of small and emerging construction contractors in the Caltrans construction projects bidding process. We also recognize the challenges and barriers preventing the full participation of these companies in this process. Key benefits in participating in the Caltrans CMPP include:

Access to education and guidance on all aspects of the public works construction contracts bidding process: back-office tasks and forms submission to estimating, bidding, work completion and other industry best practices.
Develop relationships within the construction community, including with primes and agencies, for support on future work and proposals.
Grow technical skills and infrastructure necessary to prosper in the public works arena.
Learn key Caltrans’ contract administration practices and contractual requirements.
Mentoring sessions that address specific questions or concerns from our protégés.

Larger and Experienced Contractors

The construction community has expressed a desire to engage with small and emerging construction contractors more effectively. The CMPP provides a structured and collaborative setting for primes and small businesses to connect and learn from each other. Key benefits include:

Expand their network of relationships in the small business community, particularly in specialized fields, to increase small contractor participation on their teams.
Enhance working relationships with the Caltrans team to increase transparency and engagement on public projects.
Develop an approach to communication and feedback from the small business community that encourages mutual understanding throughout their engagement on public projects.
Increasing the pool of ready and capable sub-contractor firms that as small and emerging construction contractors SB/DBE/DVBE.

If you have questions or would like more information about this program, please contact us at constructionmentorprotege@dot.ca.gov