Contractor Development Program

This comprehensive program provides technical assistance, business development, and financial guidance to small, minority, and women-owned firms. This program assists contractors with capacity and business growth as well as obtaining bonding so that participating firms are prepared to bid on city projects.

All City MWSBE and NCDOT certified DBE firms are strongly encouraged to participate in this program. Whether you need assistance obtaining bonding or business development, the Contractor Development Program is a great resource for small, minority and women owned firms to build and strengthen their business.

Contract Development Program Supports Charlotte Small Business Owners - Recorded Transcript

Steven Coker CBI is tasked with taking the priority of business inclusion and tying it together with city contracting. In the Charlotte Business Inclusion program... a core component of what we do is outreach, engagement and being able to service the constituent community with capacity building measures as well as opportunities to learn about contracts. We're working specifically on a contractor development program, a program that's committed to helping contractors obtain construction bonding as well as capital access or access to capital. Kevin Dick Bonding is really important, particularly for contractors in the construction trades. It really is a significant barrier, especially to small businesses that are looking to gain contracts with larger contractors who are doing business with the city. Councilmember James Mitchell I love the effort, I love the staff, I love all the input. With a great reputation like Kevin Dick and what he's doing with Carolina Development Small Business, it is a great combination of two entities who DNA is about helping small businesses. Zahn Patin We're really excited to be a part of this particular program because this has been one of the biggest barriers for minorities to be able to do work on public projects is getting access to capital bonding and insurance services. Kevin Dick For Carolina Small Business Development Fund, it means a great deal because the pillars of our work are about small business, financial capital, coaching and passing the research work about how small businesses are affecting the economy. So whenever we get to participate in a program like this, it just enables us to strengthen relationships with small businesses in the Charlotte market and beyond. Councilmember James Mitchell I think when you're talking about win, win, win... this is a great example is when public policy citizens and a great project all come together. We got so many winners on all fronts. I think the kickoff meeting with just a success. I think we had over 85 small businesses here. And the comments I heard was, thank you, thank you. Zahn Patin This is a big part of history for the state, so we're excited to be a part of it. Councilmember James Mitchell This is a game changer.


The Four Pillars of Contractor Development

Assessment & Technical Assistance

  • Enrollment in our Contractor Development Program.
  • Personal Contractor Development Manager to provide a professional assessment of your current capacity and growth needs.
  • One-on-one consultation to develop a work plan aligned with your business needs and goals.
  • Facilitated referrals to Program Partners and resources.
  • Referrals to specific project opportunities.

Bond Readiness Assistance

  • Assistance with obtaining or increasing bonding capacity.
  • Bond Collateral Support and contract finance assistance through a partnership with Carolina Small Business Development Fund.
  • Contract review, project assessment, and field support.
  • Assistance with project risk identification and mitigation.
  • Accounting cost subsidy for CPA-prepared financial statements.

Education & Training

  • Group Classes on public construction best practices led by industry experts.
  • Creation of individualized Contractor Profile to assist with business marketing.

Program Partnerships

  • Strategic alliances with Program Prime contractors including matchmaking and referrals.
  • Networking with public agency staff and peer contractors.

Eligible Applicants

Firms must hold a Minority, Women, Small Business Enterprise (MWSBE) certification with the City of Charlotte and/or NC DOT Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) certification

For those firms who do not hold the requisite certifications, contact the CBI Office at cbi@charlottenc.gov

Workshop Sessions

Past Workshop Session Dates and Times
Workshop Name Dates Time (EST) Training Program Delivery
 B.Y.O. Laptop - Drop-In Pre-Qualification Workshop  September 7, 2023  11 a.m. - 1 p.m.  In-Person (Lunch Provided)
 Bidding & Estimating Training Academy  September 27-
October 25, 2023
 Wednesdays
5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Sessions 1 & 2 are In-Person
Sessions 2-5 are Virtual
 Doing Business with the City  October 12, 2023  3:00 p.m.  Virtual
 Doing Business with the City  November 9, 2023  3:00 p.m.  Virtual
 Perfect Pitch: Networking for Results  November 15, 2023  9 a.m. - 1 p.m.  In-Person (Lunch Provided)
 Bonding 101  December 7, 2023  5:30 p.m.  Virtual