Reforms made to District CBE program
Published on 11/28/2012
In October, Washington, DC Mayor Vincent C. Gray announced significant improvements to its Certified Business Enterprise (CBE) program following recommendations made by the District's Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD).
The CBE program helps the District's small businesses compete for government contracts.
"Building resilient, diversified small and local businesses is a critical part of my strategy for developing a new economy in the District of Columbia," said Mayor Gray. "The CBE program supports the businesses that anchor our communities and create jobs for District residents. By addressing its shortcomings now, this administration is strengthening those businesses and ensuring that they can continue to grow and create jobs for District residents."
The reforms to the CBE program include:
- The creation of a one-stop portal for information about the CBE program and related regulations;
- Closing loopholes that permit the abuse of CBE-certified firms participating in joint ventures; and
- The creation of a team within the DSLBD tasked ensuring that agencies and private projects comply with the CBE Program Act.
- Businesses whose "principal office" is located in Washington, DC are eligible to apply for the the District's CBE program. Once in the program, CBE firms can receive bid preferences on District contracts.
