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Small Business Enterprise (SBE), Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), Women Business Enterprise (WBE) Certification
Want to do business with Cuyahoga County?
Cuyahoga County is simplifying the certification process for Minority Owned and Women Owned businesses. No longer will you have to fill out separate paperwork for the County and the State to certify your business. With Cuyahoga County’s new initiative, certification is a one-stop-shop.
The “
Quick Certify” application allows businesses to expedite their certification process and spend less time filling out paperwork and more time growing their business. This new application simplifies the process for minority and women owned businesses seeking to certify with Cuyahoga County and obtain government contracts.
Minority and women owned businesses that have previously been certified by a recognized certifying agency will qualify for “Quick Certify.”
The City of Cleveland and the
Ohio Minority Supplier Development Council are two of these agencies.
Under the reciprocal agreement, businesses certified into
the State of Ohio’s Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) program are eligible for expedited certification into the county’s MBE Program.
Click here to “Quick Certify” today.
What to do if you do not have a similar certification or qualify for “Quick Certify”?
Use the full application to apply for certification with Cuyahoga County here
Or contact the Office of Procurement and Diversity: 216-443-7200
Eligibility for the SBE/MBE/WBE program is as follows:
A business applying for SBE certification must establish that it has a physical presence located within the geographical limits of Cuyahoga County as registered in official documents. (Mailbox facilities or other similar arrangements do not constitute a physical presence).
The applicant(s) must demonstrate operational and managerial control of the firm.
To become eligible for the SBE/MBE/WBE Program, a Business firm must demonstrate that it has been in continuous operation in the category or the related category for which it is requesting certification for one year and that majority ownership has at least one (1) year of work experience relevant to the business certification category; for the Small Business Enterprise, its’ annual gross revenues or its’ total workforces are at or less than the amounts established by the Small Business Administration in the following link:
http://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/Size_Standards_Table.pdf
For the
MBE/WBE in addition to the above the MBE/WBE businesses must be owned, operated and controlled by one or more Minority/Women who have at least 51% ownership; they also must have operational and managerial control, interest in capital, and earnings commensurate with the percentage of ownership; and the Business Enterprise must be located and doing business in the
Cleveland Contracting Market which is Cuyahoga County, Geauga County, Lake County, Lorain County, Medina County and Summit County.