The University of Florida Small Business Enterprise Construction Contracting Program (SBECCP) Mentoring Initiative Steering Committee announces a call for applications from potential mentors and potential protégés for participation in the University of Florida’s Construction Mentoring Initiative. The Steering committee will review submitted applications meeting the criteria for submission in order to make a decision regarding firms that will be selected to participate in this year’s (FY 2010-2011) initiative. The committee is expanding the mentoring initiative this time to include the selection of a non-construction related mentor/protégé pairing (e.g. commodities to commodities or commodities to services pairing) and selection of one or more pairs of A/E firms for participation in this initiative. Firms wishing to be considered for participation in the University of Florida’s Construction Mentoring Initiative should complete an application and submit it no later than July 30, 2010, to the following:

University of Florida

Small Business and Vendor Diversity Relations

109 Elmore Hall, P. O. Box 115250

Gainesville, FL 32611-5250

This initiative is designed to promote small business development, enhance business knowledge and experience, foster increased business capacity, and provide small businesses access to opportunities at the University of Florida.

An event to kickoff this phase of the Mentoring Initiative will take place on July 14, 2010 at the University of Florida’s Eastside Campus, in the Sunshine Skyway Conference Room, 2008 N. E. Waldo Road, Building 1603, Gainesville, Florida 32609. Firms planning to attend this event should RSVP to: Ms. Darlean Manning, Small Business and Vendor Diversity Relations Division at (352)392-0380 or e-mail: dmannin@ufl.edu.

Additional information regarding the Mentoring Initiative, including criteria for submission, may be obtained by accessing the Small Business and Vendor Diversity Division’s website: www.sbvdr.admin.ufl.edu or by contacting: Small Business and Vendor Diversity Relations Division at (352)392-0380, SBVDR@admin.ufl.edu.