Two Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW) programs designed to help small local businesses compete for contracts are looking for firms to register.

“Face-Time with Primes,” a small business networking event, is taking reservations through March 27. The event itself is Wednesday, April 10, at the Vollmer Center at Cylburn Arboretum, 4915 Greenspring Avenue. Last year’s inaugural event drew a standing-room only crowd, and approximately 100 small businesses have already registered for the 2019 event. Mayor Catherine E. Pugh and DPW Director Rudolph S. Chow, P.E., will be on hand. 

“Face-Time with Primes” is designed to allow contractors and consultants to network with each other and learn about opportunities to engage in Baltimore City projects. Interested participants must sign up by contacting DPW’s Office of Boards and Commissions by phone or email at 410-396-6883 or OBC.Contractors@baltimorecity.gov. Attendance is free, but participants must be registered.

Registration has also opened for the 2019 class of DPW’s Small Business Development Program, a 10-week training session designed to help local small-business owners better compete for city construction contracts. The construction management classes are designed to make sure participants are contract-ready for more than $3 billion in utility construction work, including Consent Decree sewer rehabilitation and replacement, and capital improvements under drinking water, stormwater, and wastewater.

Minority, women, and disadvantaged business owners particularly are encouraged to sign up before the Aug. 30 deadline.  Interested business owners may visit https://publicworks.baltimorecity.gov/smallbusinessdevelopment to learn more about the program and submit an application. 

There is a registration fee of $199, which includes meals during the evening classes. Participants will receive 10 training modules valued at $1,119.  All M/W/DBEs must complete an application prior to program participation. For more information about the training program, please call 410-433-2400 or send an email to sbd@baltimorecity.gov.

Classes include:

• Safety (including earning a 10-hour OSHA certification card)
• Contract Administration 
• Scheduling 
• Estimating & Bidding 
• Conflict Resolution
• Construction Accounting & Finance
• Construction Best Practices