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Vendor Outreach Program

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1. What qualifications are needed to be certified as a Small Business Enterprise?

- A business organized for-profit, performing a commercially useful function

- Having a principle place of business in the marketplace (15 MN and 2 WI counties)

- Certification is with the CERT Program and valid for the member jurisdictions

- Not an affiliate or subsidiary of a large business

- A business having gross revenues that do not exceed the Minnesota Department of Administration’s revenue standard for its category. View Small Business Size Standards.

2. What qualifications are needed to be certified as a Minority-owned or Woman-owned Business Enterprise?

- Meeting SBE eligibility criteria

- At least fifty-one percent (51%) owned by women or minorities

- Having management and daily business operations controlled by one or more women or minorities who own it

- Certification is with the CERT Program and valid for the member jurisdictions

3. What is the difference between the CERT Program and the Vendor Outreach Program?

The Vendor Outreach Program is the City of Saint Paul’s program for maximizing the utilization of certified SBEs, WBEs and MBEs.

The CERT Program is the official certifying entity for the City of Saint Paul, Hennepin County and Ramsey County.

4. How long is the certification valid?

Certification is valid for three (3) years.

Approximately one to two months prior to their expiration date, businesses are asked to submit a re-certification application with updated financial statements.

5. Where can I get additional information and an application for certification?

Visit the CERT Program website where you will find:

- Application forms for certification and re-certification

- Additional details on eligibility

- Directories of certified businesses

- Links to current contracting opportunities

- Information on educational or networking events

- Links to other business programs and member organizations.

View CERT Program.

6. Do you honor any other business certifications?

Yes. An expedited certification process is available for businesses who meet our eligibility criteria and hold a valid certification with another jurisdiction.

Contact the CERT Program staff for more information at (651) 266-8900 or via email at cert@ci.stpaul.mn.us.

7. What are the benefits of certification?

The City of Saint Paul and the Housing and Redevelopment Authority set Vendor Outreach Program (VOP) goals on many construction and development projects and may set goals on professional service contracts or consider S/W/MBE inclusion as part of the evaluation of RFPs.

The City also sets VOP goals on Neighborhood STAR and Cultural STAR projects.

Certification is valid with the City of Saint Paul, Hennepin County, and Ramsey County. All of these CERT Program Member jurisdictions set goals on various types of projects. (Minneapolis set goals only for WBEs and MBEs)

8. Once my business is certified, will I automatically receive bid notices?

For the City of Saint Paul, you may receive some, but not all solicitations, especially if there are a large number of vendors on a particular bid list. If you would like to automatically receive bid notices for the City of Saint Paul and Ramsey County, register for Online Bidding.

9. Who can I talk to if I need additional information about the CERT Program or Vendor Outreach Program?

For the CERT Program, you can contact a Certification Specialist by calling (651) 266-8900 or emailing cert@ci.stpaul.mn.us.

For the Vendor Outreach Program, you can contact the VOP Coordinator, Reggie Evans, (651) 266-8904 or reggie.evans@ci.stpaul.mn.us

10. How do I find out about contracting opportunities with the City of Saint Paul?

To find out about contracting opportunities, visit Contracting Opportunities.

11. How do I find out about contracting opportunities specfic to CERT Program members?

To link to the contracting opportunities for each of the CERT Program Members, visit the CERT Program.

12. Where can I find information about the Neighborhood Stabilization Program?

Visit the Neighborhood Stabilization Program.

13. How long is the application review process?

After a complete application is submitted, it may take two weeks to two months for a final decision to be made on your status.

Responding promptly and clearly to requests for information will keep your application moving through the review process.

More complex applications will require additional time for through review.

14. I would like to contact the City's buyer to discuss my product or service. How do I contact them?

Contact the appropriate buyer for your product or service by visiting Contract and Analysis Services' Commodity Assignments.

15. Who can I contact if I have questions about my application?

If you have questions about the application form, the required attachments, the eligibility criteria, etc., you may contact a Certification Specialist by calling 651-266-8900, or emailing cert@ci.stpaul.mn.us.

16. I need help with my application packet. Who can I contact?

Call 615-266-8900 and ask to speak to a Certification Specialist, who can walk you through the process or answer questions you may have about the application or the documents you need to attach to your application.

17. Is there a cost to apply for certification?

There are no application fees for the CERT Program. Your only cost is getting the application and documentation to us.