Compliance Division

Austin Small and Minority Business Resources' Compliance Division administers and oversees contract monitoring for the City of Austin’s Minority-Owned and Women-Owned Business Enterprise Procurement Programs (MBE/WBE), Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program, Airport Concessions Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) Program, and 3rd Party Agreement contracts. The Division engages in compliance monitoring from solicitation issuance through contract close-out with a focus on small business utilization and assisting small businesses in project issue resolution.

The Compliance Division is responsible for reviewing solicitations over $50,000 for goal establishment, working with procurement staff and project managers in identifying scopes of work and potential subcontracting opportunities, making compliance determinations, monitoring subcontractor utilization throughout the project lifecycle, and reviewing final subcontractor utilization and goal attainment at project close-out.

Through its work, the Compliance Division reviews more than 4,000 compliance documents annually, reviews hundreds of capital and general procurements solicitations to determine goals, and is instrumental in supporting major programs and projects, including the City’s Airport Expansion and Development Program and Austin Convention Center Redevelopment.

The Compliance Division works collaboratively with Austin Financial Services, Austin Capital Delivery Services, Austin Aviation, Austin Transportation and Public Works, Austin Energy, Austin Water, and Austin Parks and Recreation in the procurement and delivery of City projects for Austin residents. Recent collaborative efforts include Runway to Opportunities and Gateway 2 Concessions with Austin Aviation to engage the small business community on upcoming opportunities, and federal program updates and City Financial Enhancement Program training for City project managers.  

The Division is led by Felecia Shaw, Austin SMBR Compliance Officer, who brings over 28 years of local government experience at the City of Austin in executive leadership, MBE/WBE procurement program compliance and certification, budget and finance, strategic planning, performance management, contract management support, human resources, process improvements, public information, legislative analysis and city management support. Under her leadership, the Division has focused on compliance monitoring for all active capital projects, including all airport expansion projects, Austin Convention Center Redevelopment, and Walnut Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant expansion, technology implementation to assist in subcontractor payment reporting and continued networking and education of Compliance Division functions and program requirements. 

Felecia works closely with Austin Financial Services, Austin Capital Delivery Services, and other project sponsoring departments to ensure small, MBE/WBE/DBE businesses are aware of opportunities to participate on City projects and program requirements.   

Financial Enhancement Programs

Partial Payment Program (PPP)

In instances when payment is withheld to the prime contractor due to issues unrelated to a subcontractors work, the subcontractor may request payment for approved work performed by the subcontractor. If the request is approved, the City will approve payment from the prime contractor to the subcontractor. Learn more

Mobilization Prompt Pay Program (MPP)

Provides prime contractors and subcontractors quicker access to payments by allowing prime contractors the ability to submit pay applications twice a month during critical mobilization phases on the contract (as submitted by the prime contractor and approved by the City), allowing subcontractors to invoice twice per month. MPP will be offered on all City of Austin construction contracts at or above $2 million. Learn more

Quick Pay Program

Allows for subcontractors to be paid within 10-days of work being accepted and approved by the City. The subcontractor invoices the prime contractor when their work is complete and the prime contractor pays the subcontractor when it is approved by the project manager or the construction inspector, depending on the project specifications. The QP program will be available to all businesses that are certified by Austin’s Small and Minority Business Resources (Austin SMBR) as MBEs, WBEs, DBEs, or SBEs on all (eligible) Alternative Delivery Method construction contracts (Design Build and Construction Manager At-Risk). Learn more
 

Release of Retainage

A subcontractor may request the release of retainage for work that has been completed, approved and the warranty period for that scope has expired but prior to the completion of the project. If the request is approved, the amount of the subcontractor’s retainage will be released in the prime contractor’s next payment. Learn more