§ 28-105 — Eligibility for SLBE Program

§ 28-105. Eligibility for SLBE Program.

(a) General requirements. To be eligible for certification as an SLBE, the business enterprise must: (1) be an independently owned and operated business enterprise that is not a broker, that is not a subsidiary of another business, and that is not dominant in its field of operation; (2) have owners who are actively involved in day-to-day management and control of the business; (3) perform a commercially useful function; (4) not have employed more than 50 full-time persons at any time during the last 3 years; (5) have annual gross revenues, as averaged over its most recent past 3 fiscal years or, if the business has not existed for 3 years, over the course of the existence of the business, of not more than: (i) $5 million for construction firms, specialty trade contractors, and manufacturing firms; (ii) $2.5 million for architectural firms; (iii) $1.5 million for professional services firms; (iv) $1.25 million for engineering firms; or (v) $1 million for firms providing other services, materials, or equipment, except for manufacturing firms; and (6) have a principal place of business in Baltimore City; (7) have: (i) been established for at least 1 year; or (ii) managing principals of the business who each have at least 3 years of relevant experience prior to forming or joining the business; and (8) in the year preceding the date of the initial certification application, not have received more than $1,000,000 in City contract payments as a result of contract awards from the City achieved through an open competitive bidding process. (b) Ineligible firms. (1) A business firm is not eligible to become a certified SLBE if it is owned by: (i) other businesses that cannot themselves qualify under the SLBE eligibility requirements in subsection (a) of this section; or (ii) the principals or owners of other businesses that cannot themselves qualify under the SLBE eligibility requirements in subsection (a) of this section. (2) A business firm that has graduated from the SLBE Program under § 28-109 {“Graduation[, etc.]”} is no longer eligible to participate in the SLBE Program even if it otherwise meets all other eligibility criteria.

(Ord. 16-595.)