Certify STL — St. Louis Development Corporation (SLDC)

certify SLT Business Certification Program

St. Louis Development Corporation (SLDC) in conjunction with St. Louis Economic Development Partnership and Greater St. Louis, Inc. works to promote business opportunities and capabilities of Business Enterprises Certification Program. Goals of CertifySTL are to eliminate barriers and drive equal economic opportunity for Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (MWBE) throughout the entire St. Louis Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) by verifying that businesses have satisfied the program’s identify requirements, and have met the three standards for certification:

Sufficiency of ownership
Sufficiency of capital
Sufficiency of control

Minority-Owned Business

A business owned and managed by a Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Native American, Asian American, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander person who actively oversees its daily operations and controls the majority (51%+) share.

Women-Owned Business

A business owned and managed by a woman who actively oversees its daily operations and controls the majority (51%+) share.

The Benefits of Business Enterprise Certification

The CertifySTL program provides a number of benefits for businesses in the region, and expands access to business opportunities within the 16-county St. Louis Metropolitan Statistical Area.

For companies doing business with government agencies , certification gives firms the chance to participate in bidding for government contracts at the federal, state and local levels. And for non-governmental companies that set participation and utilization goals in their contracting and procurement, the CertifySTL program is a resource for them, too.

Some program benefits include:

Third-party verification that the firm meets the identify requirements for MBE and WBE designation, and has demonstrated sufficient ownership, capital, and control to perform the work.
Networking, business development, and engagement opportunities through SLDC and partner programs
Direct connection to the Northside Economic Empowerment Center and our supplier development partners, important resources to support growth and expansion, business-specific training, and back office support.
Inclusion in the public-facing certification database

Compliance Site

SLDC Online Planroom

Diversity Management System for St. Louis Co. Government

Certification Benefits for Construction Industry Businesses:

If your business is in the construction industry, certification offers additional resources and benefits:

Access to public and private organizations and opportunities to bid for work
Participation in official certified contracting opportunities that require certification, including City of St. Louis projects and incentive-funded development projects in the City of St. Louis
Access to City Projects contracts through SLDC’s Planroom and the city’s bidding website
Communications, trainings, and networking opportunities specific to the construction industry
Information about construction opportunities in St. Louis County and at the St. Louis Airport

RFPs and Bids

Applying for Business Enterprise Certification

To apply for Business Enterprise Certification, start by setting up an account in B2GNow . If you have problems with account setup, contact us at certification@stlouis-mo.gov.

Required items:

Completed Certification Application, with signature and notary
Copies of signed Federal Tax returns showing gross business receipts for the last two years (unless you have only been in business for one year)
Copy of any current applicable business licenses and certifications
Copy of owner’s current ID, front and back (i.e., driver’s license, ID card)
Copy of a current deed, rental, or lease agreement showing business address
Copies of organizational documents filed with Secretary of State (if applicable)

Once your application is submitted, it will be assigned to an analyst, who will review your materials and ask follow up questions as needed to evaluate your application. The CertifySTL team recommends applications for either approval or denial; however, all application decisions are made by the Program Review Committee, as described in more detail in the program’s rules. Given the customized nature of each application review, the process can take 3-6 months to complete.

Updating Your Business Enterprise Certification

Keeping your certification up to date is just as important as getting certified. If your business goes through any major changes, including a new business name, a different primary location, or a shift in who owns or manages the firm, the program rules require that you notify the Certification Department in writing within 30 days. Ensuring our team is in the loop helps us maintain accurate and current business records for certification and eases the annual renewal process.

Maintaining Your Business Enterprise Certification

Once your business is certified, it will be subject to an annual renewal process. On each anniversary of your certification, you will be asked to verify that your business remains in good standing under the program. To renew, submit the following within 30 days of your certification anniversary to confirm that your business information remains the same:

a completed renewal application through the B2GNow portal
your most recent tax return showing gross business receipts and ownership information for the prior tax year
a signed and notarized no-change affidavit form, indicating that your firm has not gone through any material changes since your last renewal

If you are not able to complete the no-change affidavit in good faith because your business has gone through a material change, please reach out to the certification team to get those changes reviewed and approved.

Due to the high volume of renewals in our portfolio, we are working to process them within 30 days.

Expanding Your Business Enterprise Certification

After your firm is certified, you may determine that you have other business or work experience that justifies an expansion of your certification. To submit your expansion request:

Submit an expansion or change request in the B2GNow portal
Upload the information outlined in the Expansion Document
Work with the analyst to confirm that your firm is able to control the additional type of work for which you are seeking an expansion
Include specific descriptions of your experience and areas of expertise

As with the original certification application, the firm bears the burden of providing information sufficient for the analyst to make a recommendation on your expansion request.

Please note that the CertifySTL will only recommend expansions for approval to the extent they are supported by the materials provided by the firm and are consistent with the program’s rules.

Expansions are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and may take 3-6 months to complete.

Business Interested in DOT-Assisted Contracts, DBE Certification, or Airport Concessions

The Missouri Department of Transportation has partnered with five regional transportation agencies to provide “disadvantaged business enterprise” or DBE certification to eligible businesses. The certifying transportation agencies include: the City of St. Louis (Lambert Airport Authority), Bi-State Development (Metro), Kansas City Area Transportation Authority, City of Kansas City, and Mid-America Regional Council. The partnering agencies form the Missouri Regional Certification Committee.

Firms certified as a DBE by any MRCC member are recognized as certified in accordance with 49 CFR Part 26 are eligible for additional business opportunities under that federal guidance. So your DBE certification through STL Lambert is accepted by MoDOT, Bi-State Development (Metro), and other MRCC partners. This includes new applications, NAICS code expansions, and interstate certifications for out-of-state firms.

Through the FlySTL program, the Office of Business Opportunities also provides certification for Airport Concessions firms and Small Business entities. Visit the FlySTL website for more information.

United DBE Certification Program

FlySTL Lambert DBE Certification

Out-of-State Businesses

Out-of-state minority and women-owned businesses are invited to apply for certification. To qualify, firms must be "local," meaning they are authorized to do business in Missouri and maintain a facility within the St. Louis Metropolitan Statistical Area. Please note that we do not offer reciprocity or expedited review for other certifications.