INSTRUCTIONS for CERTIFICATION

Please Note Before You Begin: There is a "Required Document Checklist" for each form of business ownership; sole-proprietor, partnership, and corporation (PDF Files)(LLCs use the corporate checklist). Be sure to submit the correct documents from the applicable checklist.

Firms seeking certification in the City's Emerging and Small Business (ESB) Program must complete an Emerging and Small Business (ESB) Program Certification Application (PDF File).  To determine eligibility in the program, firms seeking certification must meet the following Small Business Enterprise (SBE) standards:

• Be independently owned and operated
• Not dominant in its field of operations
• Have its principal office located in California
• Have its owners and officers domiciled in California, and
• Together with its affiliates, is either a service, construction, or non-manufacturer that has 100 or fewer employees, with an average annual gross receipts not exceeding twelve million ($12,000,000) over the previous three (3) tax years OR, a manufacturer that has 100 or fewer employees.

Please review the Application carefully and complete all sections. When appropriate, indicate non-applicable items by using "N/A." Make sure to comply with the applicable "Required Documentation Checklist" and submit the required documents with the Application.

Before proceeding, you might want to review the Definition of Terms.

Note: Financial information requested is for staff review and analysis only and will be kept confidential to the extent provided by law.  Material misrepresentation will be grounds for terminating any contract that may have been awarded, and for initiating action under Federal, State, or local laws concerning false statements.