Community
Disadvantaged
Business Enterprise
(CDBE)
Program Overview
The Community Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (CDBE) program is the latest initiative of the Broward County Board of County Commissioners to assist Broward County’s local small business community in achieving greater opportunity in County procurement. The intent is to increase the participation by small businesses in County projects as both prime contractors and subcontractors. The program is like the former minority and women-owned business program in that firms have access to County subcontracting under a “percentage goals” system. It is different in that a firm need only meet size (gross receipts) and owner net worth standards, not race or gender requirements.
Program eligibility requirements:
Each owner must have a personal net worth not exceeding $827,250.00;
Has an office in Broward County, meaning that it has a current business tax receipt issue by Broward County, a physical business address (an office where the firm conducts business, not a post office box) located within the geographical limits of the county in an area zoned for the conduct of such business, and has sufficient full-time employees in Broward County to perform the contracted work;
Is an independent firm; and
The applicant may not exceed the average annual maximum gross receipts standard, calculated over the previous three (3) years, for the business category in which the firm does most of its work, as follows:
Business Category
Maximum Gross Receipts Per Year
Construction
$9 million per year
Architecture & Engineering
$5 million per year
Professional Services
$4 million per year
Business Services
$4 million per year
Commodities
$5 million per year
Related program information:
The County's MWBE Program has been suspended, in response to the need to complete a new Disparity Study to ensure that the County's minority and women-owned business program was operating at an optimal level, to ensure fairness to all Broward County businesses.
Upon completion of the Disparity Study, which is anticipated to take approximately 1 to 1 ½ years to complete, the County Commission will respond to the consultant's recommendations for any identified disparity, to ensure a level playing field for all firms, regardless of race or gender background.
