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City of Savannah reintroduces MWBE Certification Program

UPDATE 6/29/20 - The new certification program is now part of a larger program referred to as Savannah First, which in addition to increasing MWBE participation, also attempts to maximize participation of local businesses in city procurement. The Savannah First program now includes an SBE certification in addition to MWBE certification. For more details, see https://www.savannahnow.com/business/20200624/city-outlines-savannah-first-which-focuses-on-minority--women-owned-business-participation).

After discontinuing its minority- and woman-owned business enterprise (MWBE) certification program at the end of 2017, the City of Savannah is set to reintroduce it. Certification and renewal forms that were revised as recently as June 1st, 2020, have already been made available.

When the MWBE certification program was initially discontinued, the City was planning on relying on the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program at the state level to meet its diverse contracting needs. However, a change in leadership has led to a re-evaluation of the City-level MWBE program, in part due to the perceived ease of its implementation and also due to the desire to keep the local economy afloat as much as possible. 

"[Offering the certification at the City level] gives [the City] assurances that when they say they're doing business with a minority or women owned firm, that they are legitimately doing business with those types of firms," said Marronde Lumpkin-Lotson, City of Savannah Office of Business Opportunity Manager.

For the new certification and renewal forms, visit https://www.savannahga.gov/DocumentCenter/View/19488/MWBE-Certification-Application-Upd-612020 and https://www.savannahga.gov/DocumentCenter/View/19489/Affidavit-Renewal-of-Certification-2020--FINAL-fillable. 

Learn more about the Savannah Business Opportunity Program at https://www.savannahga.gov/374/Savannah-Business-Opportunity-Program.