|
The City has created this online registry to encourage the
participation of Minority and Women-Owned Small Businesses in
purchasing and contracting opportunities in the City of Burlington.
There are many other registry and certification programs for
Minority and Women-Owned Businesses. If you'd like information
on these other programs, click
here.
Certification of Eligibility Process
The certification process is intended to be straightforward and
clear and seeks to minimize paperwork. Therefore, the certification
process for inclusion on the M/WBE Registry is basically one of
self-certification. Consequently, the City will accept the good
faith word of an applicant that it is an eligible minority or
women-owned business and include the firm on the M/WBE Registry
without an investigation, unless there is cause to investigate a
firm’s eligibility.
However, to safeguard the interests of the City and legitimate M/WBE’s,
all applicants for the M/WBE Registry must certify under penalty of
perjury that the City has the right to investigate and pursue
prosecution of
businesses that willfully and falsely claim eligibility status.
Applicants must also agree to furnish any or all documents on the
Request For Documentation List, if requested (see
How to Apply below).
Definitions of Eligibility
- Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) or Woman Business
Enterprise (WBE) shall mean a small business concern:
- which is at least fifty-one percent owned by one or more
minorities or women or a combination thereof, or, in the case of
any publicly-owned business, at least fifty-one percent of its
stock is owned by one or more minorities or women or a
combination thereof; and
- whose management and daily business operations are
controlled by the minorities or women; and
- whose gross annual dollar volume of business or number of
employees does not exceed those amounts listed in the
Small
Business Administration guidelines.
- Minority individuals means those individuals who are citizens
of the United States and who are members of one of the following
groups, and any other minorities so recognized by the State of
Vermont:
- African Americans, includes persons having origins in any of
the Black racial groups of Africa.
- Hispanic Americans, includes persons of Mexico, Puerto
Rican, Cuban, Central or South American heritage or any other
Spanish culture of origin, regardless of race.
- Native Americans, includes persons who are American Indians,
Eskimos, Aluets, or Native Hawaiians.
- Asian Americans, includes persons whose origins are from
Japan, China, Taiwan, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia,
the Philippines, Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Territories of the
Pacific and the Northern Marianas, India, Pakistan, and
Bangladesh.
- City as used in this Program shall refer to the City of
Burlington.
In addition, the City may include, but will not presume
eligibility for inclusion on the M/WBE Registry, other individuals
eligible to be considered as economically and socially disadvantaged
by the Small Business Administration under Section 8(a) of the Small
Business Act, as amended (15 U.S.C. 637 (a)). Such individuals are
encouraged to apply for eligibility on a case-by-case basis.
In deciding whether a business qualifies as a small business in
terms of size, the City will apply the standards established by the
Small Business Administration in 13 CFR Part 121. In general, unless
a firm has annual receipts of more than $3.5 million or employs over
100 people, there is little need to be concerned about this size
restriction. However, the City will inform a firm if it exceeds the
standard size limitations within a specific industry grouping.
How to Apply
Firms that want to be included on the City of Burlington M/WBE
Registry should return the completed Certification Application,
Certification Affidavit, and Qualifications Statement to:
City of Burlington M/WBE Registry
Community and Economic Development Office (CEDO)
Room 32 – City Hall
149 Church Street
Burlington, VT 05401
(802) 865-7144 / (TTY) 865-7142
To download the forms in Microsoft Word format, click
here. To download the PDF
version of these forms, click
here.
To view and complete these forms, you will need
Adobe Acrobat Reader.
If you do not have a current copy of this free software, you can
download it now.
Please note that these documents are available upon request in
alternative formats for persons with disabilities or for persons
needing translation.
CEDO will screen the application to determine if:
- the business is current on local, state and federal taxes;
and
- the business is registered and, if applicable, licensed with
the State of Vermont.
Certification is good until the end of the calendar year in which
the firm is certified and placed on the M/WBE Registry.
Recertification is required each January, or any time there is a
change in the firm’s ownership, control, management, or status as an
ongoing concern.
The City’s M/WBE Registry is published online at
www.cedoburlington.org/business/MWBE_Registry.htm and is available for public as well as City use. Once a firm has
been placed on the M/WBE Registry, it may be notified of purchasing
and contracting opportunities in the firm’s lines of business. In
general, the City will presume that firms which are already
certified by other federal and state agencies as minority or
women-owned businesses are eligible for inclusion on the City’s M/WBE
Registry. However, it is important that these firms inform the City
about their specific lines of business. It is the responsibility of
firms on the M/WBE Registry to inform the City about the nature of
their products and services.
Also, please be aware that the City will not include firms
engaged in highway construction in this Registry because M/WBE firms engaged in highway
construction can apply directly for such certification to:
Vermont Agency of Transportation
Office of Civil Rights and Labor
133 State Street
Montpelier, VT 05602
(802) 828-2717 / 1-800-356-1965 / Fax (802) 828-1047
www.aot.state.vt.us/civilrights/EDHC.htm
Denial or Decertification of Eligibility
CEDO reserves the right to deny certification or decertify a firm
for the M/WBE Registry under any of the following circumstances:
- If the firm cannot resolve the concerns of CEDO about its
eligibility as a minority or women-owned small business through
the informal certification process.
- If CEDO is unable to contact a firm by email or telephone to
resolve questions about eligibility.
- If a firm does not annually recertify for eligibility, or if
the firm fails to notify CEDO in writing any time there is a
change in the firm’s ownership, control, management, or status
as an ongoing concern.
- Written request by a firm to be removed from the M/WBE
Registry.
- CEDO determines firm ineligible based on information
subsequent to certification.
If any person believes that a firm is not eligible for inclusion
on the M/WBE Registry, that person is encouraged to contact CEDO by
phone at 865-7144 or by e-mail at
cedofd@ci.burlington.vt.us. Depending on the merits of the
allegation, CEDO may conduct an investigation. In addition, CEDO may
conduct an investigation of a firm’s eligibility to claim M/WBE
status if:
- Federal or state agencies question a firm’s eligibility.
- A City department or office questions a firm’s eligibility.
In all instances when CEDO has concerns about the eligibility of
a firm to claim eligibility for inclusion on the M/WBE Registry,
CEDO will inform the firm of these concerns in writing. The firm
will then have the opportunity to resolve these concerns in writing
and in person through an informal hearing. If CEDO decides that a
firm should be denied certification or removed from the M/WBE
Registry, CEDO will state the reasons for its decision and the steps
the firm must take to meet eligibility criteria in order to reapply
for certification.
As a matter of policy, the City believes that the award of
purchasing and contracting opportunities to firms that willfully and
falsely misrepresent their eligibility as a minority or women-owned
business is a very serious blow to the integrity of the City’s
program. Consequently, if it appears to the City that a challenged
firm’s eligibility is in serious doubt, CEDO can immediately remove
the firm from participation in the program pending a final decision
on the merits of the challenge to its certification.
Willful Submission of False Information
Any willful submission of false information may also be
considered grounds for prosecution to the extent allowed by federal,
state, and City laws, regulations, and ordinances.
DBE Disclaimer
This list is available as a resource to those interested in
encouraging purchasing and contracting opportunities for businesses
owned and managed by women and/or minorities. The businesses listed
here have self-certified that they meet that criterion. Inclusion on
this list does not indicate any representation by CEDO about quality
of service, availability, reliability, capacity or other business
characteristic. You should do your own inquiries before choosing ANY
contractor or consultant, including checking references.
Below is a link to the Better Business Bureau organization that
tracks customer complaints. The other links will confirm that the
business in question is registered in the State of Vermont.
Better Business Bureau of Eastern MA, ME & VT
235 West Central St., Suite 1
Natick, MA 01760-3767
508-652-4800
Click on link to search BBB website to check if there are any
complaints about the company you are thinking of hiring.
http://search.bbb.org/SearchForm.aspx?mode=Search
Current list of licensed professionals in Vermont.
http://www.dps.state.vt.us/fire/licensing/license_holders_public.xls
Check the Vermont Secretary of State’s registry database to see
if the business is registered as the business claims itself to be.
http://www.sec.state.vt.us
|
