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The Centennial Fountain at Lake Eola

MINORITY & WOMEN BUSINESS ENTERPRISE

CERTIFICATION

The Certification Unit has the responsibility of certifying and re-certifying Minority and/or Women-Owned Business Enterprises as defined by Certification Board Rule 111.1, and under the City of Orlando’s Ordinance Chapter 57, Articles II & III of the City of Orlando Code, to participate in the M/WBE Program. Remember, you must be certified or recognized by the City of Orlando to participate in the M/WBE Program.

BENEFITS OF BECOMING CERTIFIED

Certification is a valuable tool for marketing your small business. Furthermore, it is free and does not require legal, financial, or other paid professional assistance to complete the process. Other benefits include:

  • Free Advertisement- National and Local Referrals- Each certified M/WBE’s profile is listed in our M/WBE Internet Database. Corporations, Local, State and National firms regularly utilize our database and website as an invaluable source for locating certified minority and women vendors. The database can be accessed at https://cityoforlando.mwdbe.com/frontend/vendorsearchpublic.asp.
     

  • Access to Programs and Services designed to help M/WBE's grow.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS:

The following include some of the basic criteria used by the City of Orlando to evaluate eligibility for certification.  This is only intended as a general overview. Please review Chapter 57 of the City of Orlando Code and the City of Orlando Certification Board Rules for complete certification requirements and procedures. If you have any questions or need clarification, please contact us at mwbe_cert@cityoforlando.net

  • Be at least 51%-independently owned and controlled by qualified minorities or women.
     

  • Be a for profit business (non-profits cannot become certified) that has been operational for at least six (6) months prior to the submittal of the application.
     

  • Be independent of any other business entity or entities.
     

  • Provide  the goods and services for which it is being certified.
     

  • Companies that require a Professional License and/or a Qualifying Agent to perform their lines of business must be qualified by the registration of the woman or minority owner (s).

HOW TO BECOME CERTIFIED:

The process to apply for MBE/WBE certification with the City of Orlando involves 2 steps:

If additional assistance is needed in completing the application, sign up for the certification workshop. During this workshop clients have an opportunity to discuss the certification process in-depth, and ask additional questions.

This free workshop is held the 2nd Monday of each month from 2-4 p.m. Please RSVP by calling the Disney Entrepreneur Center at 407.420.4848 or email nicole@nationalec.org.

 

Disclaimer: To ensure that only bona fide M/WBEs participate in the program, the City of Orlando has developed a comprehensive certification program and conducts a thorough review of company ownership, management control, and operational control to determine compliance with the City of Orlando's Certification Board Rules and City of Orlando Code. Fraud, deceit and submission of misinformation for the purpose of obtaining M/WBE status, including  inaccurate or incomplete ownership, financial, management or other information in connection with the application may be cause for denial.

City Clerk's Office City Hall 2nd Floor 400 S. Orange Ave.