R25-2     Resident Contractor Outreach and Assistance

Each utility shall actively seek out opportunities to identify and assist potential resident contractors, including women- and minority-owned businesses, in order to expand the utility's contracting source pool within the State of North Carolina. The utility shall help enable contracting relationships with resident contractors by exercising reasonable efforts to explain utility qualification requirements, bid and contracting procedures, materials requirements, invoicing and payment schedules, and other procurement practices and procedures. The utility shall make available on its website lists of contract categories to assist resident contractors in determining which contract categories best align with the resident contractor's stated qualifications. The utility shall develop marketing program literature to provide to resident contractors and the business community summarizing its efforts pursuant to this rule. Such summaries shall state that the resident contractor will be furnished a complete copy of this rule upon request. Such summaries shall encourage the participation of resident contractors as prime contractors and subcontractors. The utilities are encouraged to explore opportunities for outreach involving North Carolina's institutions of higher education, community colleges, and other trade and technical schools to raise awareness of career opportunities in fields utilized by the public utility sector, with special emphasis on explanation of the contract bidding process.

(NCUC Docket No. M-100, Sub 154, 6/18/2019.)