Springfield – The Illinois Department of Transportation is hosting free virtual workshops in March as part of its continuing Building Blocks of Success series for Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) firms interested in strengthening their skills, growing their business and bidding on state projects. New and existing DBEs, as well as firms interested in becoming certified in the program are invited.

March workshop dates and topics are:

• March 2, 10 a.m. to noon: Landscaping- Section 200 of the Spec Book & Traffic Control
• March 7, 10 a.m. to noon: Avoiding Pitfalls
• March 9, 10 a.m. to noon: Overhead Rate Calculation, Construction & Professional Services, and more
• March 14, 10 a.m. to noon: Daily Documentation
• March 16, 10 a.m. to noon: Force Account (T&M) Work
• March. 21, 10 a.m. to noon: Getting Paid
• March 23, 10 a.m. to noon: Construction Materials Requirements (IDOT)

Building Blocks of Success will continue through April. Workshop information, including dates and times, is available through Eventbrite at bit.ly/DBEworkshops. Advance registration is required.

Questions can be directed to IDOT’s DBE Resource Center at (312) 939-1100.

As part of Gov. Pritzker’s historic and bipartisan Rebuild Illinois, IDOT is helping to deliver the largest capital program in state history. In implementing Rebuild Illinois, IDOT strives to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion, including contracting and workforce participation.

Administered by IDOT, the DBE program provides minorities, women and other eligible small businesses opportunities to participate in highway, transit and airport contracts that are federally and state funded. For more information on becoming a certified DBE and learning more about IDOT resources that are available, visit www.idot.illinois.gov/dbe.