Past Program: Columbia University Minority, Women and Local Construction Trade Certificate Mentorship Program

Two program mentee firms, First Choice Mechanical and Corinthian Construction Company, working together on a project at Columbia.

The Columbia University Minority, Women and Local Construction Trade Certificate Mentorship Program ran from January 2008 to December 2014. University leaders had recognized a need in the community, specifically that many local firms were not prepared to meet the unique demands of completing construction projects at a large institution. The University partnered with the New York City Department of Small Business Services to design a program to help firms gain the knowledge and skills to bid on projects at large institutions like Columbia.

Eighty-six small and mid-sized construction trade firms were accepted into the program over its four cohorts, with 78 firms having graduated from the program.  Those 78 firms collectively received $33 million in construction and maintenance contract spend with the University as of December 2014. The program eventually garnered city, state and national recognition, and evolved into the creation of the CU Grow Vendor Development Program.

For more information, download the mentorship program's final report.