About the program
The City defines a Small Business as any person or corporate entity holding a recognized certification that, among the certification’s requirements, includes compliance with the US Small Business Administration’s Small Business Size Standard. Currently, the City recognizes the following certifications in determining a Small Business for purposes of this program:
City of Austin
- Minority-Owned Business Enterprises (MBE)
- Women-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE)
- Small Business Enterprise (SBE)
State of Texas
- Historically Utilized Business (HUB)
- Small Business Enterprise (SBE)
US Federal Government
- Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE)
- Women-Owned Small Business (WOSM)
- Economically Disadvantaged Women-owned Small Business (EDWSB)
- Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB)
- Service-Disabled Veteran-owned Small Business (SDVOBS)
- Airport Concession Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE)
The Small Business program does not include subcontractors or professional service contracts.
Preference amounts
Invitation for Bids (IFB)
When applicable, if Small Business Offerors participate in Invitations for Bids (IFB) issued by the City, their bids will be discounted as follows.
Bid discounts are for purposes of the competition only and will not apply to any resulting contract.
| Contract scopes | Total value | Bid discounts |
|---|---|---|
| Goods, general services, and construction | $50,00 to $100,000 | 5% |
| Good & general services | $100,000 to $500,000 | 5% |
| Good & general services | $500,000 to $50 million | 3% |
| Good & general services | Above $50 million | 0% |
Request for Proposals (RFP)
When applicable, if Small Business Offerors participate in Request for Proposals (RFP) issued by the City, their proposals will be subject to the following preference points.
| Contract scopes | Total value | Bid discounts |
|---|---|---|
| Goods, general services, and construction | $50,00 to $100,000 | 10 pts |
| Good & general services | $100,000 to $500,000 | 10 pts |
| Good & general services | $500,000 to $50 million | 6 pts |
| Good & general services | Above $50 million | 0 pts |