Gainesville, Fla. – Bid Express, the online bidding service for state transportation agencies and their contractors, has added a new Small Business Network to its array of services.

The Bid Express Small Business Network provides an open community for Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs), prime contractors, subcontractors and vendors to exchange requests for quotes regarding upcoming bid projects. For the primes, it offers an efficient way to help meet DBE goals, post solicitations, get subquotes and analyze data from past bids. Small and disadvantaged businesses will find it easier to locate relevant bidding opportunities, and engage the planholders and eligible bidders faster. In addition, small businesses can access a powerful set of bid analysis tools.

“Now even the smallest companies can compete for the jobs they want with less hassle and more results,” said Michael Self, DBE Program Specialist for Bid Express. “For the DBE firms there’s no extra financial burden to use the service, since the subscription fees are covered through the agency’s DBE program funds.”

Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) teamed with Bid Express to develop this new system which creates a virtual business center for prime contractors and DBEs, promoting easier and more timely communication. To offset the costs for the DBEs, ALDOT is providing the program, free of charge, to all pre-qualified and certified DBEs as part of their existing DBE program. Other firms wishing to subscribe, such as prime contractors that are not eligible for the DBE program, will be able to add the Small Business Network to their Bid Express account as an optional service for a small additional monthly fee.

"We feel that this will provide far reaching opportunities for the DBEs to better participate in the bid process,” said Alton Treadway, DBE Program Administrator for ALDOT. It will also better enable the prime contractors to advertise for DBE quotes before the letting and, equally important, during the course of the project as the need arises for new subcontractors."

Iowa, Indiana and New Jersey Departments of Transportation are set to launch their Small Business Network on Bid Express next month. Georgia Department of Transportation has also expressed interest.

Bid Express is a web-based bidding information service developed exclusively for the road construction industry. It is used by 23 state transportation agencies in the US. By using Bid Express, contractors can save time needed for preparing and submitting bids and bid bonds on paper, and travel time and expense in attending lettings. Agencies experience cost savings by having a reduced need for staff and fewer errors in the bid letting process. The addition of the Small Business Network extends the tools of Bid Express to the DBE community, allowing greater access and involvement in the bid letting process.

Bid Express is offered by BidX.com, an Info Tech company. Info Tech software is installed in 40 state departments of transportation, several hundred US cities and counties and two foreign countries, performing a wide range of functions from project estimation to contract administration to electronic bidding. Info Tech, based in Gainesville, Fla., provides customer-oriented, highly technical consulting, software development, systems integration and network communications services for transportation agencies, consulting engineers and contractors. For more information, contact Info Tech at (352) 381-4400 or visit www.bidx.com.

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