(A) LBE Subcontracting Participation Requirements. Prior to soliciting Bids, Contract Awarding Authorities shall provide the Director with a proposed job scope for each (1) Public Works/Construction Contract that equals or exceeds 50% of the Threshold Amount, and (2) each Architect/Engineering, Professional Service, and General Services Contract that equals or exceeds 50% of the Minimum Competitive Amount. The Contract Awarding Authority may ask the Director to waive LBE subcontracting participation requirements where it anticipates that there are no subcontracting opportunities or there are not sufficient LBEs available to perform the subcontracting work available on the Contract.
The Director shall set LBE subcontracting participation requirements, including separate Micro-LBE, Small-LBE, and SBA-LBE subcontracting participation requirements when possible, for each such Contract, where appropriate, based on the following factors:
(1) The extent of subcontracting opportunities presented by the scope of the proposed Contract; and
(2) The availability and capacity of LBE Subcontractors certified to provide goods and services required under the scope of the proposed Contract.
Except where the Director determines there are not sufficient Small and Micro-LBEs available to perform the subcontracting opportunities presented by the scope of the proposed Contract, Bidders must list and use only Small and Micro-LBEs to satisfy the LBE subcontracting participation requirement set by the Director. Where the Director determines that there are not sufficient Small and Micro-LBEs available, the Director may authorize Contractors to satisfy the LBE subcontractor participation requirement by using Small, Micro or SBA-LBEs, or may set separate subcontractor participation requirements for Small Micro, and SBA-LBEs.1
For each Contract where the Director sets a LBE subcontracting requirement at less than 20%, the Director shall prepare a written explanation of the details justifying the LBE subcontracting requirement set. The written explanation shall be posted on line as soon as practicable.
(B) Satisfaction of Good Faith Efforts Requirements. At the time of a Bid, all Bidders must meet the LBE subcontracting participation requirement set by the Director, and also must conduct good faith efforts and file evidence of good faith efforts as required in Sections 14B.8(D) and (E) respectively, with the following exceptions:
(1) If LBE subcontracting participation in the submitted Bid exceeds the LBE subcontracting participation requirement set by the Director for the Contract by at least 35%, the Bidder is excused from conducting or documenting its good faith efforts as otherwise required in Sections 14B.8(D) and (E). LBE subcontracting participation shall be determined in this Section 14B.8(B)(1) only, as the sum of all participation by Small and Micro-LBE Prime Contractors, Small and Micro-LBE Joint Venture partners, and Small and Micro-LBE Subcontractors. Participation by SBA-LBE Subcontractors shall count toward LBE subcontracting participation for purposes of determining whether the Bidder is excused from conducting and documenting good faith efforts only if, under Subsection 14B(8)(A), the Director permitted Bidders to list SBA-LBE firms to satisfy subcontracting participation requirements on the Contract.
(2) Where the Director has set LBE subcontracting participation requirements for Public Works/Construction Contracts in an amount less than the Threshold Amount or on Architect/Engineering, Professional Services, or General Services Contracts in an amount less than the Minimum Competitive Amount, Bidders are not required to conduct good faith efforts or to file evidence of good faith efforts as required in Sections 14B.8(D) and (E).
(C) Non-responsive Bids. Bids that do not meet the LBE subcontracting participation requirements set under 14B.8(A) will be rejected as non-responsive unless the Director finds that the Bidder diligently undertook all the good faith efforts required by this Chapter 14B (or that the Bidder is exempt from good faith efforts requirements under Section 14B.8(B)) and that the failure to meet the good faith efforts requirements and/or the subcontracting participation requirements resulted from an excusable error. Bidders must contact a LBE before listing that LBE as a Subcontractor in the Bid. Unless an excusable error is found by the Director, a Bid that fails to document compliance with this requirement will be rejected as non-responsive. In addition, only LBEs that have been contacted and agreed to be listed as Subcontractors shall be credited toward meeting the LBE subcontracting participation requirements.
(D) Good Faith Outreach. In addition to meeting the LBE subcontracting participation requirements, Bidders on (1) Public Works/Construction Contracts that equal or exceed the Threshold Amount; and (2) Architect/Engineering, Professional Service, or General Services Contracts that equal or exceed the Minimum Competitive Amount shall undertake good faith outreach as set forth in this Section 14B.8(D) and duly promulgated Rules and Regulations to select Subcontractors to meet LBE subcontracting participation requirements. Except where a Contract does not include LBE subcontracting participation requirements or a Bid is exempt from good faith outreach under Section 14B.8(B), Bids from Bidders who fail to conduct and/or to document adequate good faith outreach steps as required by this Chapter 14B and its duly promulgated Rules and Regulations shall be declared non-responsive.
(E) Documentation of Good Faith Outreach. Each Bid that equals or exceeds the Threshold Amount or the Minimum Competitive Amount, as applicable, shall document good faith outreach and include the documentation with the Bid. Unless otherwise excused by this Chapter 14B, such documentation shall include: (1) the dollar amount of each subcontract and a statement of the scope of work to be performed under the subcontract; (2) the identification of each subcontract awarded to an LBE and, (3) for each subcontract, copies of the Subcontractor Bids submitted. Such documentation shall contain at least the Bid amount and a description of the scope of work, and separately, for each subcontract, a full and complete statement of the reason(s) for selection of the Subcontractor. If the reason is based on relative qualifications, the statement must address the particular qualifications at issue. If the reason is the Bid’s respective dollar amounts, the statement must state the amounts and describe the similarities and/or dissimilarities in the scope of work covered by the Bids. If no written Bids were submitted by some or all of the Subcontractors who bid the job, the Bidder shall submit a written statement containing (1) the amount of each oral Bid; and (2) separately, for each subcontract, a full and complete statement of the reason(s) for selection of the Subcontractor. Successful Bidders shall maintain the documentation described in this paragraph for three (3) years following completion of the Contract.
(Added by Ord. 92-06, File No. 050784, App. 5/11/2006; amended by Ord. 265-08, File No. 081231, App. 11/25/2008; Ord. 20-10, File No. 091405, App. 2/10/2010; Ord. 8-11, File No. 101006, App. 1/7/2011; Ord. 250-14
, File No. 140999, App. 12/17/2014, Eff. 1/16/2015, Oper. 7/1/2015; Ord. 203-21, File No. 210835, App. 11/12/2021, Eff. 12/13/2021, Oper. 7/1/2022)
CODIFICATION NOTE