|
DATE: May 17, 2004
TO: Agency Secretaries and Department Heads
Business Services and Contracting Managers
Procurement & Contracting Officials
SB/DVBE Advocates
SUBJECT: SUPPORT OF THE DVBE PARTICIPATION PROGRAM
The State of California acknowledges the service and sacrifice of its disabled veterans, in part,
through the "Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) Participation Program".
Established in 1989, the DVBE Participation Program created a goal for state agencies to award
at least three percent of their annual contract dollars to DVBEs. The law allows state agencies to
manage their DVBE participation in individual contracts, so long as the overall dollar amount
awarded to DVBEs is at least three percent annually. The result is that some contracts may have
a goal of more than three percent and some may have no DVBE participation goal
The Department of General Services (DGS) and Department of Veteran's Affairs (CDV A) are
jointly responsible for the Program. The DGS and the CDV A are working hard to ensure that
California's DVBEs have access to the information they need to become certified and to
participate in the state's contracting opportunities, but we need your help.
A revIew of the DVBE participation statistics for 2002/2003 shows a total of $142,670,222 (or
2.7%) awarded to DVBEs statewide out of $5,282,419,094 for all contracts. Some departments
exceeded the goal and are highlighted in the annual report (viewable at:
The DVBE Participation Program has our full support and we ask the same of you. As the
FY 2003/2004 is coming to a close. we challenge you to recommit your departments to meeting
the DVBE goals in all contracts now. and exceeding them in 2004/2005! Encourage your
procurement professionals and SB/DVBE Advocates to search for innovative ways to get
information to DVBE businesses so that more bids are submitted.
To assist you in your efforts, we encourage you to contact Eric Mandell, Chief, Department of General Services, SB/DVBE Services Branch at (916) 375-4608, or email him at Eric.Mandell@dgs.ca.gov.
Signed by:
Fred Aguiar , Secretary
State & Consumer Services Agency
and
Tom Johnson, Secretary
Department of Veteran Affairs |
