The State of Minority- and Women- Owned ... - Cleveland.com

The City of Cleveland’s Cleveland Small Business, Minority Business Enterprise, and
Female Business Enterprise Program: Overview and Feedback Interviews
Enterprise, the Business Enterprise shall be located and doing business in the Cleveland
Contracting Market.
iii. Cleveland Area Small Business Eligibility
To be eligible, a firm must:
• Meet the size standards of the U.S. Small Business Administration; 318
• Have its principal business office located in Cuyahoga County; and
• Maintain the offices of its CEO and highest level managers and perform their
managerial functions in the Cleveland Market Area. 319
First preference is given to City of Cleveland Small Businesses (CCSBs), with second preference
given to Regional Cleveland Small Businesses (RCSBs).
Firms that were certified as MBEs or FBEs as of June 3, 2008– the adoption date of the CSB
Program– were automatically certified as CSBs until either their MBE or FBE certifications
expired or November 2, 2009 , the sunset for the “grandfathered” period of CSB certification.
Firms that were certified as MBEs or FBEs that were located outside Cuyahoga County became
ineligible for CSB certification upon the sunset date.
3. Program Responsibilities
a. Office of Equal Opportunity
The mission of the Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) is to advance equal economic
participation by all Cleveland residents. The Office is responsible for the administration,
monitoring and enforcement of the City’s minority- and female-owned business enterprise
programs, the programs for Cleveland Area Small Businesses, and Fannie M. Lewis Cleveland
Resident Employment Law programs. The programs provide for participation as prime and subcontractors
on City related contracts, for development efforts for targeted companies, and for
employment of Cleveland residents on certain construction projects. 320
Major functions of the Office include:
• Certification of businesses as local, minority, or female owned.
• Evaluation of the participation on City contracts of minority and female businesses,
employees, and local companies.
318 13 C.F.R. Part 121, as amended.
319 C.O. § 187.03(a).
320 C. O. § 123.08.
NERA Economic Consulting 290