Certification is the process by which a business is determined to be a bona fide Minority Business Enterprise or Women's Business Enterprise by the Minority and Women's Business Opportunity Office. There is no application fee.
Article 5, Subtitle 28 of the Baltimore City Code now requires that the City's efforts to remedy discrimination be limited to the Baltimore City Market Area, the geographic regions of Maryland where the City conducts the majority of its business. For that reason, Baltimore City certification as an MBE or WBE will be limited to the following geographical areas for the indicated business categories:
Construction
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Services
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Commodities
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Architectural and Engineering
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In order to qualify for certification, you must submit an application (located in the left menu, under "downloads") with proof that your business has an operating office in the Baltimore City Market Area to:
Minority and Women's Business Opportunity Office
Room 101, City Hall
100 N. Holliday Street
Baltimore, MD 21202
(410) 396-4355
Only businesses that have been in operation for at least 12 months are eligible for certification.
Pre-qualification and certification are different processes. Pre-qualification is the process by which the City's Office of Boards and Commissions (the "Office") determines the work capacity of a contractor. Through an analysis of a contractor's basic financial information, the Office assigns a base capacity rating. The pre-qualification and work capacity rating provide the City some assurances that the contractor has the experience and resources to perform the requirements of a contract. To obtain a pre-qualification application, call the Office of Board's and Commissions at 410.396.6883. Certification, as noted above, is the process by which a business is determined to be a minority-owned or woman-owned business. The Minority and Women's Business Opportunity Office certify firms as an MBE or WBE.