Airport executives, prime contractors, and fellow engineers—let’s unpack a game-changer in airside delivery: small firms teaming with large primes. The FAA’s DBE program which mandates diverse participation on major grants, brings compliance but that is not the only benefit. It’s about unlocking real value for the client. As a small business like MDG, we bring deep industry knowledge from federal and state funding partners and also local perspective to the Minnesota market. Here’s the TL;DR:
- Large firms excel at scale, but small ones like us bring hyper-specialized intel—think pre-loaded regional approval chains, FAA Form 7460 nuances, and long histories of successful projects that can be leveraged on future projects.
- Smaller firms bring a broader range of capabilities with specialized and local knowledge (https://aecom.com/without-limits/article/collaboration-builds-future-aviation/)
- Cost-Efficient without compromise: overhead rates typically run 15-20% below big-firm overheads, (https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/25896/chapter/5#38)
- Small firms thrive on flexibility: We are nimble and able to rapidly change staffing or project methodologies to meet client needs without a long corporate approval process. (https://ascelibrary.com/doi/10.1061/(ASCE)ME.1943-5479.0000895)
Airport clients get best-in-class results without the bloat; primes get reliable subs who share the load. At MDG, our track record proves small firms aren’t junior partners—we’re the edge that secures bids and delights owners.
Pursuing a teaming agreement? Reach out to MDG today to discuss what opportunities there are! https://mdgengineer.com/
