Department of Transportation

Disadvantaged and Small Business Programs Unit

The New Jersey Department of Transportation's (NJDOT) Disadvantaged and Small Business Programs Unit serves to create equal contracting opportunities for small, socially and economically disadvantaged firms who seek to do business with NJDOT.

A new program, the Supportive Services Program, has been developed to help achieve this mission.

Purpose | Eligibility | Contracting Goals | Application Process
Interstate Certification | Directories | Policy and Regulations

Purpose
Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Emerging Small Business Enterprise (ESBE) Small Business Enterprise(SBE)
It is NJDOT's policy to ensure that DBEs, as defined in 49 CFR Part 26, have an equal opportunity to receive and participate in United States Department of Transportation (USDOT)–assisted contracts. It is also our policy:

To ensure nondiscrimination in the award and administration of USDOT-assisted contracts;

To create a level playing field on which DBEs can compete fairly for USDOT-assisted contracts;

To ensure that the DBE Program is narrowly tailored in accordance with applicable law;

To ensure that only firms that fully meet 49 CFR Part 26 eligibility standards are permitted to participate as DBEs;

To help remove barriers to the participation of DBEs in USDOT assisted- contracts;

To assist the development of firms that can compete successfully in the market place outside the DBE Program.
Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program Policy Statement
NJDOT has established a Emerging Small Business Enterprise (ESBE) certification in order to facilitate competition by small businesses in accordance with 49 CFR Part 26.39. The State of New Jersey small business Set-Aside Program was established with the goal of awarding 25 percent of state contracting and purchase order dollars to small businesses. By registering your small business with the State Small Business Set Aside Program, your company becomes a member of a limited group of vendors eligible to participate in these selected contract offerings.
Eligibility
Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Emerging Small Business Enterprise (ESBE) Small Business Enterprise(SBE)
To be eligible for DBE certification, the firm must be a small business, according to the Small Business Administration (SBA) size standards, and be 51% owned, and controlled by one or more socially and economically disadvantaged individuals whose personal net worth does not exceed $1.32 million.

African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Asian-Pacific, and Subcontinent Asian Americans, and women are presumed to be socially and economically disadvantaged.
To be eligible for ESBE certification, the firm must be a small business, according to SBA size standards, and be 51% owned, and controlled by one or more economically disadvantaged individuals whose personal net worth does not exceed $1.32 million.

Race, gender, and ethnicity are not considered.
For state construction contracts, small businesses with less than 100 full-time employees will be registered in one of the following three categories:

Small business with gross revenues that do not exceed $3 million.

Small businesses with gross revenues that do not exceed 50 percent of the applicable annual revenue standards set forth in federal regulation 13 CFR 121.201, incorporated herein by reference, and as may be adjusted periodically.

Small business with gross revenues that do not exceed the applicable annual revenue standards set forth in federal regulation 13 CFR 121.201, incorporated herein by reference, as may be adjusted periodically.

Contracting Goals
Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Emerging Small Business Enterprise (ESBE) Small Business Enterprise(SBE)
Only certified DBE firms may be used to satisfy DBE goals. Either certified DBE or ESBE firms may be used to satisfy ESBE goals.

Only SBE firms may be used to satisfy SBE goals.
Application Process
Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Emerging Small Business Enterprise (ESBE) Small Business Enterprise
(SBE)
Instructions for completing the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program Uniform Certification Application:

Click Here (63k)
Instructions for completing the Emerging Small Business Enterprise Certification Application:

Click Here (53k)
To apply for small business registration and participation in the New Jersey Small usiness Set Aside Program, complete the registration form and submit it along with the 3-year registration fee of $100.00 in check or money order (Do not send cash) payable to "New Jersey Division of Revenue".

Your submittal should be returned to:

New Jersey Division of Revenue
PO Box 455
Trenton, NJ 08646

For additional information on the SBE program call the Division of Revenue, Small Business Registration and Minority and/or Women Business Enterprise (M/WBE) Certification Services unit at 609.292.2146.
Interstate Certification
Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Emerging Small Business Enterprise (ESBE) Small Business Enterprise(SBE)

For guidance in completing an application for DBE certification in New Jersey, out of state firms should call 609.963.2051 or email for additional information.

Interstate certification is not applicable for ESBE firms. Please see the Application Process for ESBE. Interstate certification is not applicable for SBE firms.
Directories
Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Emerging Small Business Enterprise (ESBE) Small Business Enterprise(SBE)
The New Jersey Unified Certification Program Directory is the only recognized directory of certified DBE firms in the State of New Jersey. The NJDOT ESBE Directory is the only recognized directory of certified ESBE firms in the State of New Jersey.

New Jersey Selective Assistance Vendor Information (NJSAVI) is a database that identifies businesses that are registered as a SBE and/or certified as an M/WBE with the State of New Jersey.

Policy and Regulations
Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Emerging Small Business Enterprise (ESBE) Small Business Enterprise (SBE)
Triennial DBE Overall Goal for Federal FY 2023-2025 (pdf 199k)

NJDOT DBE Program 2011 (pdf 166k)

49 CFR Part 26

ESBE Policy Statement (pdf 89k)

New Jersey State Small Business Set Aside Program
DBE Supportive Services
Commercially Useful Function


Last updated date: September 28, 2023 1:54 PM