Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise Program
The Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise Program program is provided through the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) in conjunction with Purchasing.
The program is designed to identify minority-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned, woman-owned, and LGBTQ-owned businesses.
The program seeks to assist these businesses in becoming active suppliers with the City of Chattanooga, mitigating the effects of social disadvantage and economic disadvantage.
Steps for Getting Started
Apply for the City’s Internal Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise Program Certification
Apply for the City’s Internal Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise Program Certification
Review the City’s Blanket Contract List and See When Contracts are Expiring
Join the Office of Multicultural Affairs Mailing List to Get Information about Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise Program Training Opportunities
Get a Chattanooga Kiva Loan for your Small Business
Business Assistance and Training
Ofice of Equity & Community development provides training opportunities to assist disadvantaged business enterprises to build more competitive and sustainable businesses.
The office promotes strategies that foster an environment where prime contractors and the program firms can form joint ventures, teaming agreements, and mentor-protégé relationships to bid and perform successfully on City contracts when needed.
How Can We Help?
We are here to walk businesses through the registration process so they can receive solicitations.
We can provide information on how to participate in the bidding process in order to become a responsive bidder.
Request Assistance
Partner Network
Construction Plans and Blueprints
You can request free copies of City of Chattanooga construction plans and blueprints by reaching out to our supplier diversity partners at the Chattanooga Urban League or the Chattanooga Chamber’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
- Chattanooga Urban League
- Chattanooga Chamber Diversity and Inclusion
Business Startup Information
For Business Startup Information, contact our supplier diversity partners Launch, CoLab, and Tennessee Small Business Development Center.
- Launch Chattanooga
- CoLab
- Tennessee Small Business Development Center
General Info
The City of Chattanooga no longer maintains a standard mailing list since partnering with the State of Tennessee in support of the Governor’s Diversity Business Enterprise Initiative.
On October 25, 2004, the City of Chattanooga announced its decision to partner with the State of Tennessee in Governor Phil Bredesen’s “Governor’s Office of Diversity Business Enterprise Initiative”, set forth and established by T.C.A. 12-3-801 and Executive Order 14, to increase our opportunities for diversity business contract participation. As a result of this partnership, the City of Chattanooga discontinued maintaining a standard mailing list effective November 10, 2004.
- If your business is classified as a large business enterprise, refer to the large business instructions written below.
- Small and diverse business enterprises should refer to the below small business instructions for further information on how to do business with us and obtain bid opportunities.
We provide potential suppliers with several options for learning about our procurement solicitations allowing you to choose the option that best fits your business operation and budget.
- Option 1. Our solicitations are published in these local newspapers the Chattanooga Times Free Press (located in the classified advertisements section), and the Urban Voice Electronic Newspaper.
- Option 2. You can obtain and download information about our solicitations in the Purchasing Division Open Bids.
Large Business Instructions
Large business enterprises interested in conducting business with the City may contact the City of Chattanooga Purchasing Division on-line by sending information about your company to purchasing@chattanooga.gov.
The information should include the following:
- Your Company’s Name
- Street Address
- Mailing Address (If Different From Your Street Address)
- The Company Contact Person
- Telephone Number
- Fax Number
- Email Address
- Taxpayer Identification Number
- State if your company is a manufacturer, wholesaler, dealer, consultant, etc.
- Give a brief description of the goods and/or services that you are interested in providing to the City of Chattanooga
This information will be given to the appropriate Buyer(s) to add to their personal list of potential sources of supply.
Small Business Instructions
The City uses the State of Tennessee’s Diversity Business Enterprise Mailing List for its small diverse business sources of supply. Diverse businesses (minority, woman-owned, and small businesses) interested in conducting business with the City of Chattanooga should apply for registration and certification with the State of Tennessee.
Apply:
- Access www.tennessee.gov/businessopp or
- Call the Governor’s Office of Diversity Business Enterprise’s toll-free number (866)894-5026
Diverse Business Enterprise Suppliers
The Purchasing Division actively solicits bids from Diverse Business Enterprise (DBE) suppliers, on every project. All parties submitting quotes, bids, proposals, or qualifications will be asked to identify the DBE category of their business, if applicable.
The Purchasing Division, in association with the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA), maintains a database of certified DBE suppliers. To be established as DBE, a supplier must be certified under the authority of an entity recognized by the City.
DBE Business Certifications recognized by the City include: