Certification

Government | Residents | Visitors

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901-636-9300

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480 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Ave, Memphis

Effective March 1, 2017, the City of Memphis began offering FREE in-house certification. Vendors interested in participating in the City of Memphis’ Equal Business Opportunity (EBO) and Small Business Enterprise (SBE) programs as a minority-owned business enterprise (MBE), woman-owned business enterprise (WBE), or small business enterprise (SBE) must register with the Office of Business Diversity & Compliance. There is no fee to apply to participate in the City’s EBO and/or SBE programs.

The City of Memphis is the primary certifying agency for the City of Memphis and all City-funded projects. SMWBE certification with the City of Memphis is FREE. If you do not have a current certification with another agency, you may apply for the City Of Memphis in-house certification. Once certified, you may register your business to be included on the City registry as a SMWBE.

If your business has a current certification with another certifying agency, you may apply for reciprocal certification with the City of Memphis and be included on our SMWBE vendor registry. Your registration with the City Of Memphis allows your business to be included on the City registry as a SMWBE.

	Equal Business Opportunity (EBO: MBE/WBE)	Small Business Enterprise (SBE)
Business Location	Shelby, Desoto, Marshall, Tate, Tunica, Crittenden, Fayette, or Tipton counties	Principal office must be located in the City of Memphis
Ownership	Majority Owner must be one of the following ethnic origins: African American, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, or Caucasian Female	Firm must be owned by a resident of Shelby, Desoto, Marshall, Tate, Tunica, Crittenden, Fayette, or Tipton counties
Business License	Firm must have Shelby County and State of Tennessee business licenses	Firm must have Shelby County and State of Tennessee business licenses
Taxes	Proof of Shelby County Personal Property Taxes and all other necessary local business operational taxes inherit to business in Shelby County are appropriately paid	Proof of Shelby County Personal Property Taxes and all other necessary local business operational taxes inherit to business in Shelby County are appropriately paid
Size Threshold (SBA standards)	Sales that exceed the average sales for the industry for three (3) consecutive years using SBA standards	Principal owners net worth cannot exceed $1.32 million, excluding primary residence and the business for which he/she is seeking SBE certification from the city

Staff at the Office of Business Diversity & Compliance (OBDC) is committed to creating an environment where minority-owned business enterprises (MBE), woman-owned business enterprises (WBE), and small business enterprises (SBE) can fairly pursue and compete for city contracting opportunities. Certification with the City Of Memphis provides SMWBEs access to many opportunities with the City, quasi-government agencies, and other non-governmental agencies.

To qualify for REGISTRATION through reciprocity, you must be certified by one of the following certification agencies:

E

Mid-South Minority Business Council Continuum (MMBC Continuum)

200 Jefferson Avenue, Suite 1000

Memphis, TN 38103

Phone: (901) 525-6512
Web: www.mmbc-memphis.org
Certifications Accepted: MBE / WBE / SBE

E

Governor’s Office of Diversity Business Enterprise (GoDBE) 312 Rosa L. Parks Ave., 22nd Floor
Nashville, TN 37243-1102
Phone: (615) 741-9263
Web: www.tn.gov/generalservices/topic/governors-office-of-diversity-business-enterprise-godbe
Certifications Accepted: SBE / MBE / WBE

If you have any questions about the registration process, please call the Office of Business Diversity & Compliance at (901)636-6210.