Apply for Small & Local Business Certification

The City encourages all businesses located in the City of Oakland to apply for the Local Business Enterprise (LBE) or Small Local Business Enterprise (SLBE) or Very Small Local Business Enterprise (VSLBE) or Locally Produced Goods (LPG) certification.

As of January 6, 2025, the City of Oakland has changed Small and Local Business Enterprise (S/LBE) certification criteria. These legislative changes (Ordinance 13825 C.M.S.) apply to all types of small business certifications.

• The main legislative change removed the requirement that a business be headquartered in Oakland. Businesses may now have a substantial presence in the City of Oakland to be certified.
• The definition of substantial presence and full certification criteria can be found on Page 20 of the Local and Small Local Business Enterprise Program manual.

Please note that our vendor is currently updating our certification program, Business Inclusion Management System (BIMS), to reflect program changes. However, all applications for certification, whether a first-time application or renewal application, including any pending applications, will be reviewed under the new criteria as of January 6, 2025. If you encounter any technical issues with your application during this time, or have any questions about the new program criteria, please email certification@oaklandca.gov.