It is the policy of the City of Baltimore to promote equal business opportunity in the City's contracting process by encouraging full and equitable participation by minority and women's business enterprises in the provision of goods and services to the City on a contractual basis.
The mission of the Minority and Women's Business Opportunity Office is to mitigate the effects of past and present discrimination against minority and women-owned business in the City's contracting process, while assuring that high quality goods and services are obtained through the competitive bidding process.
The Minority and Women's Business Opportunity Office (MWBOO) is responsible for administering Article 5, Subtitle 28 of the Baltimore City Code (2007 Edition). Specific duties include:
A Minority Business Enterprise or "MBE" is a business that is owned, operated, and controlled by one or more minority group members who have at least 51% ownership, and is located in the Baltimore City Market Area. A minority is defined under Article 5, Subtitle 28 to include members of the following groups: African American, Hispanic American, Asian American, or Native American.
A Women's Business Enterprise or "WBE" is a business owned, operated and controlled by one or more women who have 51% ownership, and is located in the Baltimore City Market Area.
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.
Baltimore City Market Area means the following geographic regions of Maryland:
| Baltimore City | Baltimore County | Anne Arundel County |
| Howard County | Carroll County | Queen Anne's County |
| Harford County |
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.
Download an application above and return it with the applicable documents to the address below. The Certification Application requires the Adobe Acrobat Reader that can be downloaded free.
Contacting the Minority and Women's Business Opportunity Office:
City Hall, Room 101
100 N. Holliday Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21202
(410) 396-4355
E-Mail
the office
The MBE/WBE Directory lists certified businesses in alphabetical order and by services. The MWBOO expressly disclaims liability for errors and omissions in the contents of this directory. Information in this directory should be verified with the MWBOO at (410) 396-4355.