The New York City Dept. of Design and Construction (DDC) is accepting applications for the second cohort of a mentoring program for qualified minority- and women-owned business enterprises (M/WBEs).

The first of its type for a New York City mayoral agency, the program has 49 firms as part of its first cohort. Applications for firms and small businesses interested in participating in the second cohort are due May 15th.

“Government contracting is a valuable business opportunity and companies want to know how to compete for those contracts and how to complete them successfully and efficiently," Thomas Foley, DDC's commissioner, said in a statement. "By helping M/WBEs and smaller firms we are not only correcting historic inequities but we’re increasing competition for our contracts and making ourselves more responsive to the needs of all the different communities we serve. We will continue to find ways to promote these firms and expand the industry.”

The program includes two tiers. Tier 1 offers participating firms exclusive opportunities to bid on construction projects valued up to $1.5 million. The firms can then enroll in Tier 2, known as the Graduate Mentoring Program, where they compete for projects valued up to $3 million.

The firms are also introduced to a network of construction businesses and networking events. Trainings and other resources also help the firms learn how to work with New York City agencies.

Firms in business for at least one year and certified by the NYC Dept. of Small Business Services (SBS) as an M/WBE or “small business” are eligible for the program. 

More than 250 firms applied for the program's first cohort.