Certifications
The City of Dayton is committed to the inclusion of, and expansion of opportunities for, disadvantaged and local small businesses. The Procurement Enhancement Plan (PEP) requires the City to certify, identify inclusion opportunities, and establish procurement goals for Small Business Enterprises (SBEs), Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs), Women’s Business Enterprises (WBEs), and Dayton Local Small Businesses (DLSBs). The HRC leads the City’s efforts toward achieving PEP goals through its certification programs and contract compliance process.
The MBE/WBE/SBE Vendor list is actively updated on a daily basis and can be retrieved via citybots.
Companies certified as PEP MBE or WBE are eligible for cross-certification in the State of Ohio’s Encouraging Diversity, Growth and Equity (EDGE) (Ohio Revised Code 123.152) administered in collaboration with the Dayton Chamber of Commerce Minority Business Assistance Center (MBAC).
Questions about the process?
You can email us at BTA@daytonohio.gov, or call us at 937-333-1401.
Procurement Enhancement Program (PEP)
The Procurement Enhancement Program (PEP) establishes aspirational goals to city contracts in order to overcome barriers identified in the Disparity Study for minority-owned, woman-owned, small and local companies. The Procurement Enhancement Program (PEP) certifies qualified businesses as MBE, WBE, and SBE, with special designation for Dayton-Local Small Businesses (DLSB).
The Procurement Enhancement Program (PEP) establishes aspirational goals to city contracts in order to overcome barriers identified in the Disparity Study for minority-owned, woman-owned, small and local companies. The Procurement Enhancement Program (PEP) certifies qualified businesses as MBE, WBE, and SBE, with special designation for Dayton-Local Small Businesses (DLSB).
Important note for vendors
PEP Eligibility and Process Review
The HRC currently administers and enforces certification via PEP (Procurement Enhancement Program) in the following designations.
Minority Business Enterprise (MBE)
Woman Owned Business Enterprise (WBE)
Small Business Enterprise (SBE)
Dayton-Local Small Business (DLSB)
Snapshot of Criteria
Business must be operating for not less than one year, which is an independent entity performing a commercially useful function.
Business owner whose ownership and control are relied upon for M/W/SBE designation is a U.S. Citizen or naturalized resident, in addition to being a current resident of Ohio. NOTE: Businesses operating outside of Ohio may still qualify for PEP status via Cross Certification. By first applying through their state of residency’s Office of Business Development for DBE designation, the underlying DBE may then be used to apply for all steps required in the Cross-Certification process.
Active certification: 2 years.
Ownership of at least 51 percent by a member who exercises control over business operations, and who belongs to one or more protected classes where disadvantage is presumed (i.e., a minority, a woman, or otherwise historically experienced social and
economic disadvantage).
Gross revenues and personal net worth (PNW) caps are imposed on each owner whose ownership and control are relied upon for M/W/SBE designation. This review exists to best serve the program’s goals to allocate resources benefitting small businesses.
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Gross revenues in construction industry: < $33,500,000 each year in previous three years
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Gross revenues in specialty trade and services: < $15M
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PNW: < $2.04M
The focus of the PEP Program prioritizes those businesses aligned with city contracts, including construction, electrical, HVAC, plumbing, select skilled trades, and professional consulting opportunities. The Business and Technical Assistance office identifies inclusion opportunities, including hosting outreach events and working directly with regional project managers. The HRC also leads the City’s work in contract compliance, ensuring allocated M/W/SBE labor performs onsite as contractually agreed.
Download and complete the application packet
The certification application submittal process is completely online. We no longer accept paper applications. Need technical assistance? The BTA Office is here to support your access and help answer questions.
Please upload your complete PEP Application and supporting documents to your citybots.com vendor account. Or, email the completed application and all supporting documents to the secure BTA inbox: BTA@daytonohio.gov. Please include BTA Team emails: alma.sove@daytonohio.gov, eryk.charlton@daytonohio.gov, and natali.smith@daytonohio.gov.
PEP-Application Review Timeline
The BTA Staff thoroughly reviews the application package to determine if all required support documentation have been submitted and to determine if any additional information will be requested. The application should be processed within 90 business days of receipt of a complete application, but an additional 60 days can be requested if necessary. The applicant would be notified of the reason for the additional time.
Common Application Pitfalls
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Not including all applicable required documents.
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Submitting incomplete application packages listed on the application checklist.
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Including unsigned documents with your firm’s application.
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Leaving blank spaces on the PEP application without explanation, such as tax returns and stock certificates, without explanation.
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Holding outside employment or business interests that conflict with the management of the firm.
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No proof of spousal renunciation when joint marital assets are used to start a firm and transferor spouse is not presumed socially and economically disadvantaged.
After the Certification and Bidding Process
Get ready to bid using your PEP Certification. More information located here.
On behalf of the Procurement Dept., following information is provided to support PEP Certified vendors ready to bid: