Questions & Answers: About METRO

During the solicitation process the following METRO SBE program requirements are in place for primes responding to solicitations with small business goals. To be deemed responsive:

• All certified and non-certified primes must self-perform a minimum of 30% of the contract value, regardless of the small business participation goal percentage.
• A certified or non-certified prime cannot self-perform 100% of their bid/proposal value.
• All certified and non-certified primes must, at a minimum, meet the small business participation goal percentage.
• All certified primes must subcontract, at a minimum, 50% of the small business participation goal to one or more certified firms.

The METRO SBE Program does not accept Good Faith Effort (GFE) response. Only the participation of METRO SBE certification and DBE certifications (which include SBA-8a) count towards the small business goal.

After the award of a contract, the prime must (but not limited to):

• Adhere to all compliance requirements of the METRO Small Business Enterprise (SBE) and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) programs
• Get pre-approval from the Office of Economic Business Opportunity (OEBO) prior to removing or adding certified and non-certified subcontractors to the team
• Must utilize the current SBE/DBE compliance tracking and reporting system, B2Gnow
• Replace the removal of a certified firm with another certified firm (determined on a case-by-case basis)
• Involve OEBO in the dispute resolution process on SB-related matters
• Adhere to the Prompt Payment Policy on contracts with small business goals: prime must make payments to subcontractors within five business days of receipt of funds from METRO
• Receive payment from METRO within 15 days of issuance of a properly prepared invoice
• Meet their Small Business Goal Commitment or risk a negative OEBO evaluation on a new solicitation

The OEBO Contract Compliance staff monitor all SBE and DBE activity on all METRO contracts with small business goals and ensures compliance with all local and federal regulations.

If you need assistance in regards to Small Business Contract Compliance, please contact Felicia Davis, OEBO Compliance Manager, at 713-739-4604 or email Felicia.Davis@ridemetro.org.

Access our compliance system to search, renew, or apply to join our database of certified vendors.