Disadvantaged Firms Get $200k in Grants

So-called “disadvantaged business enterprises” in Arkansas will receive a portion of $11.6 million in federal grants to help them compete for, and fulfill, highway contracts.

That announcement was made late last month by U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. A DBE is a small, for-profit business owned by women, minorities, or socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. In the case of a corporation, it must be one in which 51 percent of the stock is owned by one or more such individuals.

“Helping DBE firms and their workers enriches the competition for federal highway contracts,” federal highway administrator Victor Mendez said in a news release. “Grants like these will help people find jobs and are an important part of economic recovery.”

The Arkansas State Highway Transportation Department will receive $194,864 as part of the program.