The process of bidding and estimating, from MnDOT e-learning on website, to historical Bidding data, where to find bids and guide to bidding.Search websites to bidding opportunities with different agencies. Presenter: George Costilla, MN Department of Transportation

1. Office of Civil Rights
Mentor-Protégé Program
Working Capital Fund
Bidding & Estimating
April 16, 2013

2. Office of Civil Rights
Mentor-Protégé Program

3. PURPOSE
• To promote partnerships between DBEs and Prime
Contractors
• The partnerships may include:
– Bonding Plan Reading
– Insurance Change Orders
– Project Management Specifications
– Contracts Joint Venture
– Payments Recordkeeping
– Other Cash Flow

4. Bonding
Financial
Counseling
Business
Planning
Capital
Formation
Record
Keeping
Equipment
Utilization
Technical
Assistance
MENTOR
1. Brain to pick on
2. Ear to listen to and
3. Leads you in right direction

5. Application Process
• Similar to a joint venture
• Responsibilities that each partner needs to be detailed
• Recommended that a management team be formed that
includes two decision-makers from each business
• Management team should meet monthly and quarterly

6. When
• Partnership should be for 1 –3 years
• The partnership could be used on any project with :
– MnDOT or MAC or Met Council funds
• Partnership must be approved prior to the businesses working
together on a MnDOT project.
• Working on a specific project Mentor/Protégé agreement
must be in place to get DBE Goal.

7. Prime & DBE - Benefits
• DBE gains additional experience and expertise
• The DBE must have distinct responsibilities on the project
other than just performing subcontracting work on the
project.
• One of a kind opportunity for collaboration, goal
achievement and problem-solving.
– Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a
push in the right direction,

8. Mentor-Protégé
•DBE must meet the requirements of 49 CFR Part 26
Includes a PNW and Size requirement
•Agreement requires the DBE to have some
independence on a project from the prime
contractor
•M/P program is a part of federal regulations
•DBE and prime contractor can not have an
exclusive arrangement

9. Business Plans
Banking
Services
Prompt
Payment
Procedures
Records &
Contract
Management
Reading &
Inerpreting
Contract Plans
&
Specifications
Post Award Bid
Assessment
Competitive
marketplace
Overhead
Preparing &
Negotiating
Change Orders
Cost
Accounting
Project
Planning &
Scheduling
Quantity Take-
off & Estimatin
Construction
Equipment &
Material
Market
Analysis
Bonding &
Insurance

10. Questions

11. Office of Civil Rights
Working Capital Loan Fund Program

12. Working Capital Loan Fund Program
1. The purpose of the program is to provide short-term
gap financing to enable eligible DBE’s with MnDOT
Construction Projects.
2. Interest rate may not exceed 8%
3. Loan funds may range in size up to $25,000. and not to
exceed $60,000 per business
4. Quick Loan up to $10,000

13. Funds used for:
1. Project mobilization
a. Field Office
b. Performance & Payment Bonds
c. Insurance
d. Equipment transport
2. Payroll
3. Materials
4. Equipment rental
5. Working capital

14. Bidding & Estimating

15. Office of Civil Rights – MnDOT
– www.dot.state.mn.us/civilrights/elearning.html
Bidding & Estimating –e-learning
This course is provided especially for Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs) and anyone interested
in bidding as a prime contractor or performing as a subcontractor on MnDOT projects. It's made up of
an introduction and seven units of study:
Unit 1 - Basic concepts
Unit 2 - Finding and reading bid information for MnDOT projects
Unit 3 - Deciding whether to bid
Unit 4 - Overhead costs
Unit 5 - How to estimate project costs
Unit 6 - Building the bid: best practices
Unit 7 - Wrap up and course completion

16. Bidding & Estimating Course
To view this course, go to:
www.dot.state.mn.us/civilrights/elearning.html
It is a basic course on bidding & estimating
About 1 hour long, at the end it prints out a
Bidding & Estimating Certificate issued by
MnDOT Office of Civil Rights

17. • Bids at:
• Office of Civil Rights – MnDOT
– www.dot.state.mn.us/civilrights/elearning.html
Bidding & Estimating – e-learning
– MnDOT Bid Letting Website
• www.dot.state.mn.us/bidlet
• Guide to Bidding:
• www.dot.state.mn.us/bidlet/misfles/pdf/bid
guide.pdf

18. BID RESULTS:
 Bid Express Website
 www.bidx.com
 MnDOT Lettings - Apparent Bid Results
 Apparent Bid Results are posted online shortly after
bids are opened
 Available on:
 Mn/DOT Bid Letting Website
 www.dot.state.mn.us/bidlet
 http://www.dot.state.mn.us/bidlet/bidresult.html

19. BID Sites:
• QUEST CDN
• https://www.questcdn.com/questcdn/action/questLogin
• Metropolitan Council – Contracting Opportunities
• http://metrocouncil.org/about-
us/organization/doingbusiness/contracting-opportunities.aspx
• Metropolitan Airports Commission
• http://www.metroairports.org/business/solicitations/default.as
px
• Admin Minnesota Materials Management Division
• http://www.mmd.admin.state.mn.us/solicitations.htm

20. BID Sites:
• SAINT PAUL MINNESOTA BIDDING
• http://www.stpaul.gov/index.aspx?NID=686
• MINNEAPOLIS, (CURRENT BID OPENINGS)
• http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/finance/procurement/bidope
nings/index.htm
• The Blue Book
• http://www.thebluebook.com/ register your company here
it is free.

21. Questions

22. Office of Civil Rights- Business Development
Office of Civil Rights- Business Development
– Kathryn Bique – 651-366-3326,
kathryn.bique@state.mn.us
– George Costilla – 651-366-3352
george.costilla@state.mn.us
– Orlanda Klinkhammer – 651-366-3048,
orlanda.klinkhammer@state.mn.us

23. Business Development Contractors
– Dan Sprague – Business Development/South Central
(612) 382-9915, dan.sprague@southcentral.edu
– Scott Ochsner- WCLF Loan Manager/MEDA
(612) 259-6574, sochsner@meda.net