Fort Worth's convention center is entering its next chapter, and local small businesses now have a direct way to be part of it. As the remaining Phase 2 work moves toward bid, the project's construction team has opened an interest form for certified Small Business Enterprises (SBEs) ready to compete for subcontracting opportunities on the expansion. 

Phase 1, focused on back-of-house improvements, reached substantial completion late last year. Phase 2 is the part visitors will see and feel: expanded exhibit hall space, a second ballroom, and new meeting rooms, with a completion forecast for late 2029 and is budgeted at $606 million. A project of that scope runs on a deep bench of trades, and the opportunities reach well past the headline scopes. 

The form reflects that breadth. It lists more than 60 bid packages, from concrete, masonry and glazing to plumbing, HVAC and electrical, and on through flooring, signage, food service equipment, and landscaping. Firms select the scopes they are qualified to perform, indicate whether they would work as a prime subcontractor or at the second tier, and submit their SBE certification, insurance and bonding documentation, and a list of completed projects. 

The effort is anchored in the city's 30 percent SBE utilization goal for contracts over $100,000. The project's construction manager at risk (CMAR), a joint venture of AECOM Hunt, Byrne, and EJ Smith, has committed to working with the city to meet or exceed it and plans targeted pre-bid meetings and direct outreach to qualified firms as packages are released. Supporting that work, the Fort Worth Chamber, the Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Fort Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce, and the City of Fort Worth are dedicated to connecting small businesses with these opportunities through the City's Small Business Development Program. 

If your firm is SBE certified and works in any of these trades, the interest form is the place to start. Firms that are not yet certified can reach out to the Fort Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce, which offers fast-track certification workshops for businesses preparing SBE submissions and has direct lines into local certifying agencies. Questions about the convention center and all other bids can go to the City's Purchasing Department.  

The convention center will welcome the world to Fort Worth, and the businesses that help build it can be Fort Worth's own.