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City and County of Los Angeles Collaborate to Improve Contracting Opportunities for Local Businesses

Posted on 08/23/2017
paving sidewalk

In an effort to increase opportunities for local businesses to successfully secure contracts with the City of Los Angeles, the City’s Local Business Preference Program (LBPP) will now recognize firms certified as Los Angeles County’s Local Small Business Enterprise.

This will allow the City to streamline and expedite the certification and verification process in a more efficient manner. The City’s Board of Public Works Commissioners has given authorization to the Bureau of Contract Administration to proceed with this recognition.

“This will be of great assistance for local small businesses to reduce the time for verification and certification by the City and help them secure city contracts,” said Public Works Inspector John L. Reamer, Jr. “We want small local businesses to grow and flourish in partnership with the City of Los Angeles and so facilitating the process is a win-win.”

“Small businesses are drivers of the local economy and the County of Los Angeles is proud to partner with the City to promote small businesses,” said County of Los Angeles Department of Consumer and Business Affairs’ (DCBA) Director Brian J. Stiger. “There are so many diverse contracting opportunities that small businesses should take advantage of and we’re here to help every step of the way.”

“The County is excited to join forces with the City to connect more small business owners to government contracts,” said Sabra Purifoy, Esq. Acting Deputy Director of Business and Economic Development with DCBA. “This partnership is momentous and a huge win for small businesses who want to sell their goods and services to the City and County.”

Businesses interested in working with the City are required to be registered with the Los Angeles Business Assistance Virtual Network (LABAVN), the online system for businesses to find potential contracting opportunities with the City. By accepting businesses certified by the County, the City is able to now maximize its network of certified Local Business Enterprise (LBE) firms in LABAVN.