As a public agency, the Virginia Department of Transportation is responsible for the assurance of full citizen participation in the process of highway construction and in the receipt of benefits derived from highway construction and related activities. When citizen participation or benefits are denied or minimized, it is the responsibility of the VDOT Civil Rights Division to investigate and address the issue for resolution. With internal and external functions, the the Civil Rights Division meets the public need in areas of fair employment practices, procurement and contracting inclusion, cross cultural training, eminent domain, and other areas where federal and state policies, practices and resources are applied. The Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program was established in 1982 by congressional mandate as a means to boost minority participation in the highway industry. In 1987, women were bridged into the program and in 1999 with passage of the Transportation Equity Act of the 21st Century (TEA-21) all small businesses are included in the equation to achieve diversity in highway construction. Virginia actively engages in services such as the Disadvantaged Business Program to address and improve the immediate and long-term business needs of firms interested in and actively pursuing highway construction work. A first step for engaging such services is to become certified and prequalified to work on VDOT construction projects as a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise. Supportive Services The Civil Rights Division works with a network of partners to ensure the success of willing and able Disadvantaged Business Enterprise contractors. Opportunities abound for the business interested in breaking into and meeting success in the highway construction market. Supportive services include one on one specifications and standards training, contract review and general business consultation. Business Development Program offers grants to eligible firms for professional consultant services to update accounting systems, legal assistance or consultation, to obtain FAR audits, business plan development, website development and other services to strengthen business operation and management capacity. Conferences, seminars and workshops are also coordinated to pull the contracting community together to share technical and regulatory information, participate in forums and take advantage of the network circuit to form new alliances.