Contracting with the Department of Transportation

Learn about contracts for firms that can help rebuild our transportation infrastructure, available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).

Content

Quick takeaways

• BIL allocates hundreds of billions in contracting dollars to improve American transportation infrastructure. This creates many meaningful opportunities for small businesses to get contracts.
• Identify DOT Federal procurement opportunities through DOT’s Procurement Forecast or SAM.gov .
• Use your state's Small Business Transportation Resource Center to identify state procurement opportunities. You can also visit the state DOT or fund recipient website. Look for the contract opportunities page.
• For more information, see our How-To Guide for Contracting with the U.S. Department of Transportation .

About contracting with the Department of Transportation

Background

Signed into law by President Biden in November 2021, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) aims to address the country’s aging infrastructure by investing in our built environment. The Department of Transportation received a significant portion of BIL funding to improve roads, bridges, and public transit among other critical transportation infrastructure.

The Federal Highway Administration, Federal Transit Administration, and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will seek to allocate at least 10% of their more than $370 billion in contract authority to small, disadvantaged businesses. Small businesses will play a critical role in rebuilding roads and bridges, eliminating the nation’s lead service lines and pipes, deploying broadband, and installing thousands of miles of new and resilient transmission lines.

Why do these contracts matter for my small business?

Nearly $600 billion is being invested in every corner of the country’s transportation infrastructure.

Is my small business eligible to participate?

If your small business provides services related to our transportation infrastructure, your firm may be eligible. Needs vary by contract.

How can my small business identify contracting opportunities?

Federal contracts

Several major categories of infrastructure investment make contracts available directly from the DOT. To access these opportunities:

1. Visit DOT’s Procurement Forecast to search for upcoming BIL-related contract opportunities.
2. You can narrow down your Search by
   • Operating Administration,
   • Competition Type, or
   • Procurement Category

Select “yes” in the “BIL opportunity” dropdown menu. Or, simply select the “BIL opportunity” box to search for all BIL-related contracts.

1. Select any specific opportunities that might be a good fit for your business.
2. Reach out to the Point of Contact listed in the contract opportunity to find out additional information. Engage with the government official about next steps, when applicable.

You can also visit SAM.gov and search for contract opportunities. Apply the “Department of Transportation” filter. Note that there is no “Bipartisan Infrastructure Law” filter on SAM.gov.

State contracts

Most categories of infrastructure investment grant money to states, which are awarding contracts. To access these opportunities:

1. Reach out to the Small Business Transportation Resource Center serving your state to help you identify state opportunities. Alternatively, visit the state DOT or other relevant website and look for the contract opportunities page. This will vary from state to state, as there is no central repository for state DOT contract opportunities.
2. Select any specific opportunities that might be a good fit for your business.
3. Reach out to the Point of Contact listed in the contract opportunity to find out additional information and engage with the government official about next steps, when applicable.

How SBA can help your small business

Certifications

SBA provides socio-economic certifications for small businesses that want to do business with the federal government. These certifications enable small businesses to access specific set-aside contracts. Small businesses can be certified as:

• Veterans and Service-Disabled Veteran Owned
• Woman Owned
• Historically Underutilized Business Zone firm
• 8(a) Participant firm

Coaching and training

SBA provides counseling, training, and technical assistance . These are meant to help businesses improve their contracting capabilities.

Financing

SBA guarantees small business loans for payroll and contract start-up costs. These may be relevant for your small business. Ex: Federal contractors typically get paid 45 – 60 days after contract start. Employees are usually paid every 15 days.

Surety bonds

Surety bonds provide the customer with a guarantee that the work will be completed. This helps small businesses win contracts. Many public and private contracts require surety bonds. Surety bonds are offered by surety companies. SBA guarantees surety bonds for certain surety companies. This allows these companies to offer surety bonds to small businesses that might not otherwise get them. Eligible businesses include:

• Small businesses according to SBA’s size standards
• Small businesses with a small contract up to $9M for non-federal contracts and up to $14M for federal contracts
• Small businesses that meet the surety company’s credit, capacity, and character requirements.