All businesses seeking certification as a City of Milwaukee Small Business Enterprise are required to complete one of the applications below.
Thoroughly completed applications containing all required supporting documentation will be processed by date of receipt and on a first-in, first out basis. Application review and processing times may be completed within 90 days, however timeframes may vary depending on the number of applications in queue and/or if applications are submitted without required information.
In order to be certified as a Small Business Enterprise (SBE), all businesses must meet the following minimum certification requirements:
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The business shall be a U.S.-based business which is independently owned, operated and controlled and is not dominant in its field of operation, or an affiliate or subsidiary of a business dominant in its field of operation.
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The business shall meet the size standards of the United States Small Business Administration (SBA).
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The business shall have demonstrated capacity to perform independently or as a subcontractor relative to its field of operation.
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The business shall not be owned, operated and controlled by individuals or groups of individuals, who own, operate and control a large business involved in the same category of work as the business for which SBE certification status is sought.
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The business shall be operational for at least one year prior to certification.
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The owner shall control the day-to-day critical operations of the firm.
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The owner or owners shall be citizens or permanent, legal residents of the United States.
In addition, detailed below are specific certification requirements that assist in determining SBE certification eligibility:
The business shall be at least 51% owned, operated and controlled by one or more persons who are at an economic disadvantage and who is experiencing substantial difficulty in achieving business-related success as a result of at least 3 of the following:
- At a disadvantage with respect to business location.
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At a disadvantage with respect to education.
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At a disadvantage with respect to employment.
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At a social disadvantage.
Required Documents
The City requires several documents to affirm whether a business meets the eligibility criteria for certification. To assist with gathering the appropriate information, please review the checklists below which contain comprehensive lists of supporting documents that must be submitted along with the application.
If an application is submitted with incomplete or missing documents, the business has ten (10) business days to respond and provide the requested information. If the requested documents are not provided within ten (10) business days, the application review process will be terminated and the application will be returned to the business owner.
To expedite the review process, please review the document checklist as many times as needed prior to submitting the application. If you have any questions, please contact our office at 414-286-5553 or [email protected].