In the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, JEA wrote checks totaling more than $9.3 million to local companies in the Jacksonville Small and Emerging Business (JSEB) program.
The utility would like to increase that amount and based on projects planned for 2016-17, there will be a need to do more work with small businesses.
Renovations are scheduled at electric system substations and water treatment plants and the $30 million sewer expansion program is set to begin next year.
“It’s going to be a big year for construction,” said Nadine Carswell, who manages the utility’s JSEB participation.
The program was established by ordinance in 2004 to maximize opportunities for small businesses to secure contracts with the city and the independent authorities.
Companies that wish to participate must meet certain requirements, such as the business must be established in Jacksonville for at least three years and the owner must have lived in Duval, Baker, Clay, Nassau or St. Johns counties for at least one year.
The owner also must have a personal net worth of no more than $605,000, excluding his or her personal residence, and the business must have a three-year gross annual income of $6 million or less.
The ordinance sets a goal of at least 20 percent of city contracts going to JSEB vendors.
In the 2014-15 fiscal year, JEA contracted nearly 25 percent of its work that could be performed by small businesses with JSEB participants.
Each JEA project is analyzed during planning stages and Carswell said she works with project managers to go through specifications “line-by-line” to identify opportunities for the utility to send as much business as possible to small companies.
“Our goal is to give every possible opportunity to JSEBs, as long as they can provide the services or products we need at a competitive price,” Carswell said.
The program is designed to meet some of the specific needs of small businesses, including quick payment for services rendered and products delivered.
Approved invoices received directly from JSEB vendors are paid within seven days of receipt. For vendors who work under prime contractors, the JSEBs must be paid within three days of the prime receiving payment.
“These are small companies. They don’t have capital like larger companies,” said Carswell.
The challenge is to find enough qualified companies that can provide the services JEA needs.
Currently, about 40 percent of contracts administered through JSEB are for janitorial, landscaping, hauling and tree-trimming services.
Going forward, Carswell said she’d like to see more companies that offer professional services enroll in the program, particularly engineers.
Also on her “wish list” are vendors that can provide site-development services, surveyors and companies that can perform utility construction — particularly underground utility construction — and asphalt repair companies.
“If they are out there, we want to know about them,” said Carswell.
A seminar is offered by JEA at 3 p.m. the third Thursday of each month at 21 W. Church St. for potential new vendors to learn about the utility’s procurement policies.
“Anyone who’s interested in doing business with JEA is welcome,” Carswell said. “And we refer potential JSEBs to the city program.”
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