Hennepin County is committed to increasing its contracts with small businesses that are certified as a small business enterprise (SBE) by the Central Certification (CERT) Program. Minnesota statutes permit the county to invite only small businesses to bid on certain contract opportunities (MN Stat. 471.345, Subd. 20) and to directly negotiate contracts with small businesses and non-profits that meet certain criteria (MN Stat. 471.345, Subd. 8 and 383B.145, Subd.5).
To be included in all small business contracting opportunities, it is critical for small businesses to get certified, and maintain their certification, with the CERT program. The county advertises opportunities to firms listed in the CERT program's directory, and solicits bids directly from these firms based on the industry code(s) under which they are certified.
Closed solicitations (sheltered markets)
To participate in any of the opportunities below, a firm must be certified by the Central Certification (CERT) Program as a small business enterprise (SBE). Follow these steps to participate:
Step 1
Confirm your business is CERT-certified. Visit CERT.
- Make sure the status is active.
- Make sure to include all industry codes that describe what your business does.
Step 2
Notify the county that you are interested in a specific opportunity listed below - ideally before the invitations to bid go out. Include the following:
- Business name
- Contact person
- Email address
- Phone number
- The name of the opportunity you are interested in
Step 3
Register your business with the Supplier Portal.
Upon completion of these steps, you will receive an invitation to the bid opportunity.
Current opportunities
Community Productive Day Construction Partnership Program
The Community Productive Day Construction Partnership Program was developed to help county residents on probation or under county supervision gain skills and training to secure meaningful employment in the construction trades. The program allows vendors and Hennepin County to work together to:
- Reduce racial disparities in employment and income
- Reduce recidivism with the justice system
- Increase government contracts with small businesses
How does my organization become a partner?
Organizations interested in being part of the Community Productive Day Construction Partnership program must meet designated criteria. Follow these steps to determine if your organization qualifies.
Step 1
Answer these questions:
1. Is your organization a general contractor or specialty contractor in the construction industry?
2. Is your organization certified by the Central (CERT) Certification Program as a small business enterprise (SBE)?
3. Is your organization's annual gross revenue less than $18.25 million for general contractors OR less than $7.5 million for specialty contractors?
If you answered "yes" to all three questions, then your organization is eligible to apply.
Step 2
1. Complete all fields on the application form
2. You will receive an email from Hennepin County acknowledging your application was received.
Step 3
Your application will be evaluated. Based on your answers to the questions on the application, a decision will be made to grant or decline "partner" status to your organization. Applicants denied partner status will be offered the opportunity to receive feedback from a representative of the program concerning the strengths and weaknesses of their application.
For more information about the program visit the Productive Day Program web page.
Other contract opportunities
We will continue to post other contract opportunities for all organizations on the Supplier Portal. Learn more about the Supplier Portal.