Statewide Uniform Certification (SWUC)

General Information / Overview

The Office for Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUB Office) launched its new Statewide Uniform Certification (SWUC) program on July 1, 2009. The HUB Office will take the lead in certifying HUB/MWBE firms, which previously had to apply for certification through the HUB Office as well as the local M/WBE program offices.

Effective July 1, 2009, HUB firms must be certified through the HUB Office to be listed in the database to be counted by local and state entities for HUB participation and the reporting purposes.

Benefits of HUB Certification include:

• HUB Certification is free of charge. • Certification is valid for four years, provided that the business continues to meet

the eligibility requirements. • Certified HUBs are registered with the Division of Purchase and Contract’s web-

based HUB Vendor Directory/Vendor Link. State agencies use the HUB Vendor Directory in conjunction with the E-Procurement database to solicit bids from certified HUBs for state purchasing and public works contracts. Prime contractors also use the HUB Vendor Directory to identify HUBs in order to send them notification of their subcontracting opportunities. This provides increased exposure to the general public, as well as other entities that have a supplier diversity program and are searching for minority and woman-owned businesses.

Vendor in the Spotlight. The HUB Office will showcase your business on our website to a target audience of purchasing agents and decision makers.  

Eligibility for HUB Certification Under the SWUC Program

Per N.C. General Statute 143-128.4, to qualify as a historically underutilized business, a business must be at least 51% owned, controlled and managed, by one or more citizens or lawful permanent residents of the United States who are members of one or more of the following groups: (1) Black, (2) Hispanic, (3) Asian American, (4) American Indian, (5) Female, (6) Disabled and (7) Disadvantaged.

If you are interested in becoming a certified HUB firm, you must register in the Vendor Link system and request HUB Certification. Please follow the instructions below:

To Register In Vendor Link / Initiate HUB Certification:

1. Go to http://www.doa.nc.gov/hub 2. Click "Certification" 3. Click "Request HUB Certification" 4. Click "HUB Certification/SWUC Program" 5. On the Electronic Registration page – read terms and "Accept" 6. Complete all applicable information 7. On the last page – Click "Registration Complete" 8. Return to http://www.doa.nc.gov/hub and Go to Forms and Documents; and 9. Click "Required Documents" and "Statewide Uniform Certification

Application (pdf)" 10. Based on your business type, submit supporting documents indicated and the

Statewide Uniform Certification Application to the HUB Office

State  of  North  Carolina    Office  for  Historically  Underu8lized  Businesses  Search  for  Vendor  Informa8on    h>ps://www.ips.state.nc.us/vendor/searchvendor      

Q  &  A’s        

Bonnie  Tripp  Simmons  btsimmons@ncdot.gov  

919-­‐707-­‐4549  

NCDOT Construction Opportunities

2013 North Carolina Federal Construction, Infrastructure and Environmental (FEDCON)

Summit October 17, 2013

Why are we here?

•  To provide information and answer questions to enhance your understanding of NCDOT

•  To clarify the differences between the different levels of risk for contractors

•  To clarify prequalification vs. certification

•  To show you how to find the information you need to make informed decisions

• 

I want to work for NCDOT…What do I need to do? •  Levels of Risk….from lowest to highest

1)  Fully Operated Rental Equipment (FORE)

2)  Subcontractor

3)  Small Business Enterprise (SBE) Contractor

4)  Purchase Order (POC) Prime Contractor

5)  Prime Contractor on Centrally Let Projects

Fully Operated Rental Equipment •  Used to supplement NCDOT equipment

•  Fill out a FORE proposal and submit with prices to District Office near you

•  No guarantee of work

Subcontractor •  Work on any size project (Purchase Order or Central Let)

•  Must be prequalified through NCDOT using a Subcontractor Prequalification Application

•  Must be prequalified before starting work on the project.

•  Bonding not required by NCDOT, may be required by Prime Contractor OR they can hold between 3% and 10% retainage to be released within seven days of satisfactory completion of work.

•  Know the Specifications for your work!!!

Small Business Contracts (SBE) •  Projects up to $500,000 and ONLY SBE contractors can bid •  Typically bonding and General Contractor License

requirements are waived •  Must be certified through NCDOT to be a SBE (annual gross

income up to $1.5 million, excluding materials) to bid (no prequalification needed)

•  Advertisements labeled as SBE contracts (Division contracts) for ALL modes of transportation (at their discretion)

•  Know the Specifications for your work!!! They do apply! •  Not classified as an approved subcontractor

Purchase Order Prime Contractor (POC Prime) •  Up to $2.5 million

•  Must be prequalified as a POC Prime (currently a Subcontractor) at time of bid

•  Typically advertised and let out of Division Offices

•  Bonding required for anything over $500,000

•  Will be required to meet any DBE, WBE/MBE goals or provide a good faith effort

•  Level of qualification lets you subcontract also

Prime Contractor on Centrally Let Projects

•  Typically over $2.5 million

•  Prime Contractors need to be a “Prequalified Bidder” through our Prequalification Unit at time of bid

•  Bid, Payment and Performance Bonds are required

•  Must meet any DBE, WBE/MBE requirements or show a Good Faith Effort

•  Responsible for any subcontractor work, liquidated damages, etc.

•  Level of qualification lets you subcontract and be a POC prime also

Now that I am Approved, how do I find work? https://connect.ncdot.gov/letting/Pages/default.aspx

Division Projects

Division Let Project (Example)

Centrally Let Projects

Centrally Let Projects (cont’d)

Prequalification vs. Certification •  Prequalification (except SBE) deals with the ability to bid

and construct projects.

•  Certification applies to Programs such as Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE); Woman-owned Business Enterprises (WBE) and Minority-owned Business Enterprises (MBE)

•  If you are certified as a DBE, MBE or WBE, you are not automatically prequalified. If you are prequalified, you are not automatically certified as DBE, MBE or WBE.

Transportation Directory

•  Once you get prequalified and/or certified, your firm is listed on our Transportation Directory for public consumption

https://partner.ncdot.gov/VendorDirectory/default.html

Transportation Directory

Division 2

Division Office – Greenville District 1 (Beaufort, Pitt) – Washington District 2 (Carteret, Craven, Pamlico) – New Bern District 3 (Greene, Jones, Lenoir) – Kinston

Division 2 Contact Information •  Division Engineer – John Rouse, PE •  Division Contract Officer – Aaron Bullard, PE

•  Primary Contact for Division-Let Projects •  252-439-2807 •  jaaronbullard@ncdot.gov

•  Division Construction Engineer – Ed Eatmon, PE •  Primary Contact for Centrally Let Projects (Current and Future) •  252-439-2800 •  beatmon@ncdot.gov

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Division 3 Contacts (910) 341-2000

Division Engineer Karen Fussell Division Construction Engineer Jackson Provost Division Maintenance Engineer David Thomas Division Operations Engineer Chad Kimes

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Duplin & Sampson Counties: Lin Reynolds (910) 592-6174

Onslow & Pender Counties: Robert Vause (910) 346-2040

Brunswick & New Hanover Counties: Anthony Law (910) 251-2655

Division 3: Local Contacts

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Division 6 Contact Information •  Division Engineer – Greg Burns, PE •  Division Operations Engineer – Jerry Bradley, PE

•  Primary Contact for Division-Let Projects •  910-437-2611 •  jbradley@ncdot.gov

•  Division Construction Engineer – Tracey Pitman, PE •  Primary Contact for Centrally Let Projects (Current and Future) •  910-486-1493 •  tpittman@ncdot.gov

Questions