Education and Outreach

The Small Business Program Office (SBPO) is charged with administering the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's (WMATA) economic inclusion programs and services through both community outreach and business development. SBPO strongly believe that both services go hand in hand when assisting established as well as newly created business in equitable contracting/procurement opportunities with WMATA. By providing such services, this will allow striving businesses to successfully contribute to the local economy, establish job for individuals, and subcontracting opportunities for small businesses that may not have the financial capacity to serve as a prime.

SBPO held its first Townhall Meeting on February 24, 2022, for WMATAs internal employees, to present an overview of WMATA’s Socioeconomic Programs, Certification Requirements and Contract Compliance. The Townhall gave employees the opportunity to hear about the new non-Federal Socioeconomic Programs; The Minority Business Enterprise Program and its two race-neutral components, the Small Business Program and the Micro-Business Program. These programs were created to provide additional contracting opportunities for Small, Minority and Women-Owned businesses and will apply to any contract that utilizes non-federal funds.

Specifically, SBPO has established and implemented the following opportunities and are in the process of developing additional need services. They are as follows:

Meet the Prime:  An opportunity for Small, Minority, and Disadvantaged businesses to meet face to face with current and future prime contractors who either currently have contract with WMATA or those who have future aspirations of serving as a prime contractor.

One on One:  opportunities where the prime and subcontractor can have a private face to face regarding scope of work, payment, issues, and/or additional opportunities.

Technical Assistance (Prompt Payment Training): Training that teaches both prime and subcontractor on how to successfully report monthly subcontractor utilization for both certified and non-certified businesses used on a specified project.

Pre-Bid Conferences: Informative conference where both internal and interested external parties attend to obtain project specific information, expectations, and reporting requirements.

Trade/Exhibit Show: Opportunities for WMATA/SBPO to showcase current and future procurement opportunities, provide program awareness, and increase the vendor pool of capable and able businesses.

Newsletters: a monthly internal and external publication of all events and opportunities being hosted by SBPO and WMATA.

Mentor Protégé Program (coming soon):  program designed to motivate and encourage large business prime contractor firms to provide mutually beneficial developmental assistance to small, minority, women, and disadvantaged businesses.