Frequently Asked Questions: Certification
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What is the cost of certification? There are no fees payable to the City of Austin for certification.
Certification as an MBE/WBE provides greater exposure for work opportunities on City of Austin projects. Certified firms are listed on SMBR's Certified Firms Directory SMBR provides bidders/proposers an "Availability List" of certified firms for primes to solicit. Gives firms an opportunity to bid on City of Austin projects as part of a team. How long is the Certification review process? The Certification review process for MBE/WBE firms can take up to 60 days once all information has been uploaded into the portal. For DBE/ACDBE firms, the process can take up to 90 days once all information has been uploaded into the portal. How long will my certification last? MBE/WBE certifications have no expiration date and will remain certified until their eligibility is either removed based on graduating from the program, not meeting program requirements, or when a MBE/WBE requests a withdrawal from the program. Disadvantaged and Airport Concession Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE/ACDBE) certifications have no expiration date, maintaining the certification(s) is contingent on an annual review submission along with a few required documents. What are the benefits of becoming certified?
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What happens after I become certified? After certification, your business name is included on the City of Austin's SMBR department's website vendor database as a certified MBE/WBE. An availability list is generated from the database on specific services needed on a City of Austin project. If your company's services match a particular solicitation, you will receive a notice either by fax, email, or mail to submit a bid. The City of Austin requests the minimum documentation needed to determine if an owner is socially and/or economically disadvantaged. This information includes documents that will demonstrate ownership, management, and control. We will also need documentation that demonstrates the owner and/or owners' expertise and the Personal Net Worth (PNW). Why are so many supporting documents required for certification? Will certification allow my firm to appear on availability lists? Yes, your firm will be placed on Availability List whenever the scopes of work that you are certified under appear on a contract. To ensure that Prime Contractors and Prime Consultants can contact you, keep your email address and contact information current on Vendor Connection so that your company will not miss any opportunities to do business with the City or with a prime. Keep in mind that Certification does not guarantee a contract with the City of Austin. The City of Austin only recognizes MBE, WBE, and Small Business Enterprise (SBE) certification from the SMBR Department for our locally funded projects. Will you accept MBE/WBE or SBE certification from another agency?
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