State Contracting and Certification · are not binding on the agency. Official responses are submitted in writing during the Q & A process. – Any questions regarding the solicitation

Erin Rock, Secretary

State Contracting and CertificationHue T. Reynolds, Executive Director

Office of Supplier Diversity

• The Office of Supplier Diversity (OSD) certifies Florida-based woman-, veteran- and minority-owned small businesses. We provide technical assistance, training and targeted information about contract opportunities, special events and networking activities.

• Florida Certified Business Enterprises (CBEs) are the first group of businesses referred to state agencies and other stakeholders seeking to diversify their purchase order and contract opportunities. CBEs are also listed on the Office of Supplier Diversity’s public directory at osd.dms.myflorida.com/directories.

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http://osd.dms.myflorida.com/directories

Discussion Topics

1. Terms unique to state contracting2. Procurement from a vendor’s perspective3. Statewide contacts for procurement and

contracting for CBEs4. Certification process

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Terms Unique to State Contracting System

Invitation to Bid (ITB)• A scope of work is specifically defined.• Vendors asked to submit pass/fail information like licenses, references, and

certifications, and contracts are awarded to the responsive and responsible vendor with the lowest price.

Request for Proposal (RFP)• Used when it is not practicable for the agency to specifically define the scope

of services or deliverables. • Vendors are evaluated on price, capabilities, commodities and services that

meet requirements in the RFP.Invitation to Negotiate (ITN)

• Used to achieve a specific goal and/or receive the best value.• The agency is able to more specifically define what it needs during

negotiations, consider solutions and adjust requirements to obtain the best value.

E-Quote• An informal procurement used to purchase goods or services below $35,000,

and the agency defines what it needs in the quote process.

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General Procurement Process

When a state procurement is solicited:– Solicitation is posted on the public Vendor Bid System (VBS).– Notifications are emailed to vendors registered in VIP for the requisite

commodity codes.– Solicitation will outline beginning and end dates, with specific events

that occur throughout the process in the timeline of events.– Solicitation changes (addenda) are also posted on VBS.– Most solicitations have a question-and-answer process.– Pre-Response Conferences may also be held. These are informal and

are not binding on the agency. Official responses are submitted in writing during the Q & A process.

– Any questions regarding the solicitation are directed to the procurement officer. The procurement officer is the sole point of contact for the vendor.

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Contact Information

Procurement personnel can be found on the DMS website at DMS.myflorida.com: home page Business Operations State Purchasing Vendor Resources.

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http://dms.myflorida.com/

Certification Process

• Designations:– Woman (WBE)– Veteran (VBE)– Minority (MBE)

• Requirements:– Registered in MyFloridaMarketPlace– 51 percent owned and managed by woman, veteran or minority– Permanent resident of Florida– Net worth less than $5 million– Fewer than 200 employees– Business domiciled in Florida– U.S. Citizen

(Governed by Florida Statutes 287.09451 and Chapter 60A-9 of Administrative Rules)

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Why Certify?

• First tier referrals• Listing in Online Directory

– provided to state purchasing directors and used by cities, counties and private sector companies

– http://osd.dms.myflorida.com

• Targeted communications, including contract opportunities, special events, networking activities, technical assistance and training

http://osd.dms.myflorida.com/

How Do I Get Started?

First step: Register as a vendor through the MyFloridaMarketPlace Vendor Information Portal (VIP) at http://vendor.myfloridamarketplace.com.

The VIP also provides access to business opportunities available from the state:

– Vendor Bid Opportunities– MFMP Sourcing

http://vendor.myfloridamarketplace.com/

MFMP Registration

1. During the registration process, you may select any of the following designations for certification:

• Woman• Veteran• Minority

2. Upon completion, review the supporting documentation list from OSD.

3. Submit your documents to OSD.4. Staff will review documentation.

Documents for Certification

Minority or Woman: – SBA(8)(a) Federal Certification– Birth certificate– Passport– Naturalization records– Foreign birth certificate– Tribal registration card (Native American) OR– Affidavit of minority designation

http://www.dms.myflorida.com/content/download/32399/146942/Affidavit_of_Ethnic_Designation.pdf


Veteran (those seeking VBE):

– Veteran Application AND DD214 OR– Document for service-disabled


Permanent Resident of Florida: Declaration of Domicile in the clerk of court’s office in the county courthouse and one of the following:

– Florida driver’s license– Homestead exemption OR– Voter Registration


Ownership: To establish 51 percent ownership interest, ANY of the following shall be considered:

– Articles of incorporation or Articles of organization (LLC)– Sole proprietorship– Partnership agreement OR– Federal SBA(8)(a) certification


Management: To establish 51 percent management interest, ANY of the following shall be considered:

– Partnership agreement– Resume(s) OR– Payroll within the last 12 months


Small Business Domiciled in Florida: To establish business domicile, ONE of EACH under each category below:

1. Registration from the Department of State2. Business with fewer than 200 employees

• Payroll within the last 12 months

3. Net worth of business not more than $5 million• Financial Statements OR• Last two years of federal filed tax returns


Useful Business Function: – Affidavit of Corporate Representative– Notarized statement of useful business purpose by

authorized corporate representative OR – Copy of recent quote submitted by company OR – Recent signed contract/invoice


Licensing: A small business must have and maintain all state or otherwise required licensing before becoming a Certified Business Enterprise. If a professional license is required for the industry, the owner/manager seeking the certification must be the licensed qualifier.

– Professional (licensed and regulated by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation)

– Business operational license/business tax receipt (city/county) OR

– Attestation of no license required (industry does not require licensing)

How Long Is the Process?

• Approximately 15 business days to process certification documents when all requested documents are received by OSD

• Registration in MyFloridaMarketPlace is NOT automatic certification as a WBE, VBE or MBE.

• Businesses are certified for two years.

Recertification

• Online process at dms.myflorida.com/osd– Company FEID/Tax ID number– Gross revenue last fiscal year– Gross revenue from state term contracts– Net worth of your company– Number of employees– Owner/co-owner names and responsibilities– License/permit numbers for any certificates required for your

business operations• If you miss your recertification period, you must re-

apply.– Keep your information up-to-date in MFMP.– Include an active email address and monitor your email

messages.

http://dms.myflorida.com/osd

Contact Information

Hue T. Reynolds, Executive DirectorOffice of Supplier Diversity4050 Esplanade Way, Suite 380Tallahassee, Florida 32399850-487-0915dms.myflorida.com/[email protected]

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http://dms.myflorida.com/osd

mailto:[email protected]