As a business owner who wants to do business with the City of Cleveland, how can I find more information on meeting the requirements of the Office of Equal Opportunity?

The Office provides presentations for interested contractors that last about one hour. You can call 216.664.4152 for the schedule or to register for a presentation.

How can I find businesses that are certified by the city as being local, minority or female-owned?

Ask the business if you can see a copy of their certificate, or search the registry here.

What are the requirements to become certified as a minority or female owned company?

The business must be:

• ready, willing and able to perform work in the area it seeks certification
• located in the Cleveland market area
• owned and controlled at least 51% by a minority or female

Registration information can be found here.

What is the Office of Equal Opportunity certification program's "Cleveland Market Area"?

Cleveland’s market area is Cuyahoga County.

What size should a business be in order to be considered for certification as a small/local business by the City,?

The certification will initially follow the size requirements for the Small Business Administration which is summarized for workforce or gross revenues as follows:

• 500 employees for manufacturing or 100 for wholesale trade industries
• $6 million in gross revenues for retail and service industries
• 28.5 million for most general and heavy construction industries
• $12 million for special trade contractors
• $0.75 million for agriculture industries
• $4 million for architectural/engineering firms
• $6 million for law firms and consultants

These limits can be adjusted as program objectives and analysis continues.

Can a business be certified by the City as both a minority business enterprise and a small business?

Yes, a business can actually be certified in five classifications. The program is called Cleveland Area Small Business (CSB), and additonal categories are Minority (MBE), Female (FBE), Local Producer (LPE)and Sustainable Business Enterprise (SUBE) depending upon the criteria it meets.

How long does it take for a business to receive minority or small business certification from the City?

Most applications are processed in less than 30 days after all requested documentation is provided.

How will the City's new small/local business program impact the MBE/FBE programs?

The new program will be superseded by provisions for increasing MBE and FBE contracting whenever measured inequality is noted in City contracting.

What is an Affirmative Action Plan?

This is a document that reflects an employer’s structure, policies, and practices related to status, hiring and recruitment of employees. In particular, it describes activities or plans for attracting minorities and females as employees.

What requirements need to be met to be certified as a Sustainable Business Enterprise (SUBE)?

The City of Cleveland requires completion of sustainable training in order to be classified as a Sustainable Business Enterprise, and recognizes two companies for training on sustainable practices. These companies are Green Plus and E4S. After training is complete and a copy of the certificate of completion is submitted with a new or recertification application, the company will be listed as "Sustainable".

What programs does the Office of Equal Opportunity manage?

The Office administers contracting incentives for Cleveland small, minority, female, local and sustainable businesses, and provides targeted development activities, including providing certification as:

• a smaller, local business enterprise (CSB)
• a minority owned business enterprise (MBE)
• a female owned business enterprise (FBE)
• a local producer also including local food producer (LPE)
• a sustainable business enterprise (SUBE)

OEO also monitors employment of city residents (which is required on certain construction projects), and use of green building principles. Affirmative action plans are submitted to the Office from all contractors related to their workforces.