When the Rules Change Midstream: What the Latest DBE Updates Mean for Design-Build Teams

Design-Build Delivers

Chapters
0:00
DBE Changes: What Actually Happened
3:40:00
From Presumed to Proven
7:53:00
— The Real Impact on Small Businesses
10:07:00
— Procurement Delays and Project Uncertainty
12:40:00
— Why Design-Build Still Works Here
16:24:00
— Where Teams Struggle in Practice
19:41:00
— Biggest Risks to Projects and Participation
22:57:00
— How Small Businesses Should Show Up Now
28:30:00
— Design-Build Done Right in Action
32:58:00
— What Happens Next
Design-Build Delivers
When the Rules Change Midstream: What the Latest DBE Updates Mean for Design-Build Teams
Apr 30, 2026
DBIA

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Changes to the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program are already shaping how teams approach projects and raising questions about what comes next.

In the latest episode of The Design-Build Delivers Podcast, brought to you by ARKANCE, an Autodesk Platinum Partner, host Erin Looney speaks with two industry professionals working through those changes in real time.

The conversation focuses on the recent Interim Final Rule (IFR), which removes long-standing presumptions of disadvantage and shifts the burden of proof onto individual firms. As a result, DBE certification, procurement timelines and team formation are all being affected, often in ways that are still evolving.

Rather than debating the policy itself, this episode looks at what’s happening on the ground, including how project teams are adjusting, where uncertainty is creating friction and what it means for small businesses trying to stay engaged in design-build.  

Resources from the episode: 

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