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Webinar: Minority-Owned Business Outreach and Partnerships for EV Infrastructure

May 9, 2023

Text version

Presentation slides

The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation (Joint Office) hosted a webinar on minority-owned business outreach and partnerships for electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure. Minority-owned businesses are leading the charge in the EV infrastructure industry by manufacturing, installing, operating, and maintaining EV chargers and providing innovative charging services to support a growing EV market.

These businesses are also training the workforce of the future, especially in underserved communities. The federal government has several resources at the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Department of Transportation, and the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) to support minority-owned, women-owned, and veteran-owned business participation in federal funding to deploy EV charging equipment and connect to primary funding recipients. The audience heard from businesses working in different parts of the EV industry and learned how to connect to others through regional federal offices that support small- and minority-owned businesses.

Panelists:

  • Angela Washington, Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA)
  • Natalie King, Dunamis
  • Edwin Luevanos, Citizen Energy
  • Sheryl Ponds, DaiTechCorp.

Key takeaways  

  • The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program was not designated as a disadvantaged business enterprise program by Congress, but there are a lot of resources that state departments of transportation can put forward to reduce barriers for disadvantaged business enterprises, and many states are also considering different ways of including minority businesses in their efforts.
  • The Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Program does include language promoting local inclusive economic development and entrepreneurship.
  • MBDA offers a variety of resources to connect states and other entities with the minority business community. MBDA is the only federal agency solely dedicated to the growth and global competitiveness of minority business enterprises.
  • Dunamis has created a national workforce development program that provides electric vehicle infrastructure training and certification for technicians with respect to assembly and manufacturing of the EV charging hardware.
  • As a minority business enterprise, Citizen Energy connects with those communities that the government, private sector, politicians, policies, and others have a hard time connecting with.
  • The value proposition for DaiTechCorp is primarily to offer concierge-like services for EV adoption and focus on enabling EV charging in places where people live.

Resources