ARC Business Opportunities

Disadvantage Business Enterprise (DBE)

The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) has established a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program in accordance with regulations of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), 49 CFR Part 26. ARC has received Federal financial assistance from the Department of Transportation, and as a condition of receiving this assistance, ARC has signed an assurance that it will comply with 49 CFR Part 26.

It is the policy of ARC to ensure that DBEs, as defined in part 26, have an equal opportunity to receive and participate in DOT–assisted contracts. It is also our policy:

1. To ensure nondiscrimination in the award and administration of DOT – assisted contracts.
2. To create a level playing field on which DBEs can compete fairly for DOT-assisted contracts.
3. To ensure that the DBE Program is narrowly tailored in accordance with applicable law.
4. To ensure that only firms that fully meet 49 CFR Part 26 eligibility standards are permitted to participate as DBEs.
5. To help remove barriers to the participation of DBEs in DOT assisted contracts.
6. To assist the development of firms that can compete successfully in the marketplace outside the DBE Program.

The General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer has been designated as the DBE Liaison Officer. In that capacity, the General Counsel is responsible for implementing all aspects of the DBE program. Implementation of the DBE program is accorded the same priority as compliance with all other legal obligations incurred by ARC in its financial assistance agreements with the Department of Transportation. Please direct any questions to:

Brittany Zwald
General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer
DBE Liaison Officer
Atlanta Regional Commission
procurement@atlantaregional.org

This policy is more fully described in ARC’s DBE Program and Plan.

If you wish to be considered as a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE), you must be certified by an appropriate entity. The Georgia Department of Transportation certifies entities for the State of Georgia, with support from MARTA for firms located in Fulton, DeKalb, or Clayton Counties.

Bid Protest Procedure

Any interested party may file a written protest during the pre-award phase of the procurement process. Any pre-award protest must be received by ARC at least ten (10) business days before solicitation closing using the procedures described below. Any pre-award protest not received by ARC at least ten (10) business days before the solicitation closing will not be addressed.

Post-award protests may only be filed by parties that submitted bona-fide offers in response to the solicitation. Any party registering a post-award protest must do so in writing within five (5) business days of the date of announcement of the award.

Written protests may be submitted by mail to:
Brittany Zwald
Staff Legal Counsel
Atlanta Regional Commission
229 Peachtree ST NE, STE 100
Atlanta, GA 30303

Protests can also be submitted by email to procurement@atlantaregional.org. Protests submitted via email must include “Procurement Protest” in the subject line.

Initial notifications must contain the following:

• Name and Title of Protester
• Phone Number
• E-mail Address
• Fax Number
• Title/Name of the procurement against which a complaint/protest is being issued

Within five (5) business days of receipt of notification, ARC will provide the protester with a copy of these Procurement Protest Procedures and a Protest Form. Only protests submitted in writing will be addressed. The protester must return the completed Protest Form to ARC’s Contracts and Grants Analyst named above within five (5) business days of its receipt.

Requests For Proposals (RFPs) and Requests For Qualifications (RFQs)

ARC’s policy is that all procurement transactions will be conducted in a manner that provides maximum open and free competition consistent with the efficient performance of our work program and with the Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments (the federal “Common Rule”). View available RFPs/RFQs

Potential Consultants

ARC maintains a list of consulting firms eligible for consideration for future Requests for Proposals. For your firm to be included in the list, please complete the Potential Consultant Application, including the appropriate areas of expertise. You may also include a qualification package when you return the application. Form and content for the qualification package are left to the discretion of your firm.