Disadvantaged Business Enterprise

The Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program is a legislatively mandated USDOT program that applies to federal-aid highway dollars expended on federally-assisted contracts issued by USDOT recipients such as State Transportation Agencies. Congress established the DBE program in 1982 to:

• Ensure nondiscrimination in the award and administration of DOT-assisted contracts.

• Help remove barriers to the participation of DBEs in DOT-assisted contracts, and

• Assist the development of firms that can compete successfully in the marketplace outside of the DBE program.

The DBE program ensures that federally assisted contracts for highway, transit and aviation projects are made available for small business concerns owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals.