Jacksonville Transit in North Carolina has published its Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) participation goals for the fiscal years 2025-2027. 

The program, which aligns with federal regulations under 49 CFR Part 26, plans to improve opportunities for minority-owned and disadvantaged businesses within federally funded transportation projects.

The transit agency has set an overall DBE participation goal of 1.7% for contracts involving $3.04 million in Department of Transportation (DOT)-assisted funding. 

This means Jacksonville Transit expects to allocate approximately $908,098 of its federally supported contracts to DBE firms during this three-year period. The agency’s methodology includes analyzing the availability of DBE firms and adjusting for local market conditions to arrive at a realistic and achievable target.

To calculate the DBE participation goal, Jacksonville Transit assessed the relative availability of DBE firms within its Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which includes Carteret, Craven, Duplin, Jones, Onslow, and Pender counties. The base figure, derived from census data and the state’s DBE directory, was adjusted to reflect anticipated subcontracting opportunities, yielding the final 1.7% target.

Public participation is a cornerstone of the goal-setting process. Jacksonville Transit has encouraged feedback through notices posted on its official website and social media platforms. Interested parties can also review the detailed methodology in person at Jacksonville Station during business hours.

In its approach to meeting these goals, Jacksonville Transit plans to improve upon race-neutral methods. Strategies include simplifying bidding processes, offering technical assistance, and connecting DBE firms with prime contractors. Contract-specific goals may also be established when necessary to meet overall targets.