Disparity Study

Overview:

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (Alaska DOT&PF) conducts Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Availability and Disparity Studies to ensure that contracting opportunities are fair, inclusive, and compliant with federal requirements. Under federal regulations (49 C.F.R. Parts 23 and 26), state and local transportation agencies that receive U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) financial assistance must set overall goals for DBE and Airport Concessions DBE (ACDBE) participation. These goals cannot simply be based on past participation or the national aspirational target; they must instead be grounded in demonstrable evidence of the relative availability of ready, willing, and able DBEs and ACDBEs in the marketplace. Disparity studies provide this evidence. They assess whether minority, women, and disadvantaged-owned firms are participating at levels consistent with their availability and capacity. When disparities exist, the studies help identify potential barriers to fair competition.

Purpose:

The purpose of a disparity study is to provide the foundation for setting fair and legally defensible DBE and ACDBE goals, as required by federal regulations. Specifically:

• For DBE Programs (49 CFR §26.45): Agencies must set overall DBE goals based on the relative availability of DBEs in their market area. The objective is to determine the level of participation that would reasonably be expected in the absence of discrimination.
• For ACDBE Programs (49 CFR §23.51): Airports must estimate the percentage of concession opportunities that ACDBEs would capture if there were a true "level playing field."

By examining the relationship between availability and utilization, disparity studies help agencies determine whether DBE and ACDBE participation levels reflect fair access or whether barriers such as discrimination or systemic inequities may exist.

Goals of the study:

Through the disparity study process, Alaska DOT&PF seeks to:

• Measure Participation: Evaluate DBE and ACDBE involvement in federally assisted transportation and concession contracts.
• Assess Availability: Identify the number of firms that are ready, willing, and able to perform contract work in Alaska's marketplace.
• Identify Disparities: Compare availability and utilization to detect underutilization of certain groups.
• Support Goal Setting: Provide demonstrable evidence to establish DBE and ACDBE overall goals in compliance with 49 CFR. §26.45 and §23.51.
• Promote Equity: Ensure that all qualified firms have an equal opportunity to compete and participate in U.S. DOT-assisted contracts and concession opportunities.

NEW! 2026 Disparity Study Update:

The 2026 Alaska DOT&PF Disparity Study is currently underway with consultant Keen Independent Research.

Past Disparity Studies: