Cooperative Inclusion Plan (CIP)

Overview

Currently, with the on-going highway projects under construction or in development in the Dallas‐Fort Worth area, the ability to align contractors with regional highway transportation providers is critical. The Cooperative Inclusion Plan (CIP) was developed to provide a consolidated structure for area disadvantaged, minority, women, and small businesses and historically underutilized businesses (D/M/W/SBEs and HUBs) to take full advantage of the contracting opportunities in the highly competitive highway construction industry.

What is the CIP?

The CIP is a comprehensive approach to addressing the shortage of D/M/W/SBEs and HUBs in highway contracting. The CIP provides a road map for addressing this challenge and aims to bring together the key highway players and contractor associations to close this gap. The North Texas region is a dynamic and diverse community. The CIP paves the way to build on the foundation of inclusion by unifying the key professional organizations, highway organizations and community leaders to collaborate toward feasible strategies.

What are the goals of the CIP?

The CIP focuses on the following four goals, which are monitored to assess performance:

• Expand pool of qualified D/M/W/SBEs and HUBs certified to perform highway construction
• Increase dollars spent with local D/M/W/SBEs and HUBs in highway construction
• Grow bonding capacity of D/M/W/SBEs and HUBs
• Increase number of D/M/W/SBEs and HUBs capable of serving in prime roles

Five Key Focus Areas

• Education: Develop greater understanding of key processes and requirements for the highway industry
• Access: Provide D/M/W/SBE and HUB firms with greater access to key industry decision makers. Connect current and potential highway contractors to qualified subcontractors
• Availability: Expand pool of firms ready, willing and able to perform highway construction work
• Capacity: Help strengthen the skill set and business acumen of interested firms
• Utilization: Expand the participation of firms in Texas Department of Transportation and North Texas Tollway Authority procurements to increase potential use of these firms to perform highway work

CIP Partners

• Asian American Contractors & Professional Association
• Regional Hispanic Contractors Association (RHCA)
• The Associated General Contractors of Texas (AGC)
• Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT)
• North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA)

The CIP partnering organizations represent a network of entities that are committed to facilitating increased diversity participation in highway procurements and providing opportunities for training, mentoring, networking and business development for D/M/W/SBE and HUB firms.

The CIP combines the expertise of the region’s professional contracting organizations – Asian American Contractors & Professional Association, Regional Hispanic Contractors Association, and the Associated General Contractors of Texas – to provide the guiding posts for short‐ and long‐term strategies. As the major highway providers in the region, the Texas Department of Transportation and the North Texas Tollway Authority have joined with the professional contracting organizations to advance current initiatives that are aimed at ensuring that the region’s diverse makeup is carried throughout its procurement processes. Brief overviews of the partnering organizations are included in this section to provide further information on their missions, goals, values and diversity efforts.

For more detailed information regarding the CIP or to print a copy of the informational CIP Resource Guide, please visit the following link:

• CIP Resource Guide
• 2021 CIP Schedule

Contracting Opportunities

• Contract Letting
• Contract Bidding
• Comprehensive Development Agreement
• DBE Program
• HUB Program
• SBE Program

Training Opportunities

• TxDOT Trainings
• NTTA Business Diversity Page

2020 CIP Classes

• Class #1: Navigating TxDOT Website and NTTA Marketplace - January 17, 2020 - COMPLETED

CIP Workshops

2024 CIP Workshops & Webinar

• CIP Professional Services Firms Workshop on March 19th , 2024
  • CIP Presentation
  • CIP Pre-registration-Added Registration
  • CIP Walk-In Registration

CIP Events

CIP Workshop Presentations

CIP Training Opportunities

Consultants

TxDOT Project Tracker

Architectural, Engineering and Surveying Consultants

For more information please contact:

CIP Resource Specialist

Debra Wells Kensong at:

Email Address: D[email protected]

Phone (office/cell): (214) 319-3553/(737) 610-9489

Dallas District DBE Coordinator     

Noraima (Nora) Perez

Email Address: [email protected]

Phone (office): (214) 319-6456