Purpose

The Small Business Enterprise Program is a race/gender neutral initiative intended to enhance procurement and construction contracting opportunities for certified Small Business Enterprises (SBE) in Pinellas, Pasco, Hillsborough, Manatee and Polk counties.

Certification

This is the starting point for participation in the City’s SBE program. The Business Assistance Center processes applications for certification based on company size and annual sales receipts.

To qualify as a certified SBE, a company must complete a City of St. Petersburg SBE Certification Application, sign an Affidavit, supply Supporting Documentation and submit it to the Business Assistance Division. All certifications are effective for a period of two years from the date of notification of certification.

Submit the information to the Business Assistance Division.

Business Assistance Division

33 6^th Street South

St. Petersburg, Florida 33701

 727-893-7146

Eligibility

The SBE must meet the following criteria:

• Be certified by the City’s Business Assistance Division.

• Serve a commercially useful function;

• Must be in business for at least one year;

• Be domiciled within Pinellas, Pasco, Hillsborough, Manatee or Polk counties.

• The annual sales and number of employees of the business must not exceed the amounts set forth below:

 Discounts for Bids and Quotes Submitted by Small Businesses

For bid and quote evaluation purposes only, the Purchasing Director may include in Bids/Quotes for supplies or services objectively measurable discounts for bids and quotes submitted by SBEs, as defined in the City of St. Petersburg City Code Section 2-242(h). When establishing such discounts, the Purchasing Director shall use the following scale as a guideline:

 Construction Goals

The SBE Committee is responsible for establishing certified SBE subcontracting participation percentages for each construction project of $50,000 or more.

 The participation percentages shall be based on the availability of SBE contractors on a contract-by-contract basis and shall be included in bid specifications and bid advertisements for all City construction contracts.

All contractors bidding on a construction project shall be required to subcontract the designated percentage of work, including the cost of labor, equipment, materials and supplies to certified SBE subcontractors or demonstrate and document good faith efforts to satisfy the goal.

A prime contractor submitting bids to provide construction services to the City shall be responsible for achieving and maintaining the required participation percentages for the duration of an awarded contract. If the contractor is not able     to achieve the required percentage goal the contractor must demonstrate and document that good faith efforts were made to achieve the goal.

Sheltered Market

This is a process where contracts are designated, before solicitation of bids, for limited competition from SBEs. The SBE Committee may administer a construction sheltered market program. Only certified SBEs are eligible to participate in the sheltered market program.

Waiver of Bonds

For construction contracts of less than $50,000, the Person Officially Designated (POD) may reduce or change the level or types of bonding normally required, or accept alternative forms of security to the extent reasonably necessary to encourage procurement from SBEs. In reducing the level or types of bonding normally required, the POD should take precautions to ensure that the City and any third parties will be adequately protected. The provision contained herein for waiver of a performance and payment bond for a construction contract shall be effective only for so long as state law allows for such a waiver.

Report to City Council  

The POD shall annually report to the City Council concerning the awarding of contracts to SBEs during the preceding fiscal year. To the extent practicable, the report should include the total dollar value of awards made in the fiscal year to SBEs.

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