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Business Oregon says certification processing times improved to ~60 days; outreach and capacity remain priorities
Summary
Business Oregon told the committee it has improved certification processing times to an average of 60 days for new applications and 18 days for renewals, crossed 3,000 certified businesses, and recently added an outreach coordinator; staff said program definitions and potential eligible pools vary by certification type.
Business Oregon told the Ways and Means joint committee on March 17 that its small‑business certification program has improved processing times and expanded outreach but still faces capacity constraints.
Kate Zinner and deputy staff described the agency’s role as Oregon’s sole certifying authority for four state certifications and two federal transportation‑related certifications. The agency said it crossed a milestone this week with 3,004 certified businesses and more than 5,000 total certifications across program types.
Committee members raised concerns about application processing times and outreach to eligible businesses. Representative Watanabe said application timing can be a barrier to work that starts quickly; Zinner said recent staffing increases have cut average new‑application processing time to about 60 calendar days and renewals to about 18 calendar days. The agency told lawmakers it processes roughly 83 files a week per team and has added a new outreach coordinator to increase presence at events and partnerships with technical assistance providers.
Lawmakers also asked how many businesses in Oregon could be eligible for certification. Business Oregon said the answer varies by certification type because the programs use different revenue and employee thresholds; for example, some agency programs use a 500‑employee federal definition for SSBCI contexts while the state emerging small business definition applies lower thresholds. Staff offered to consult economists and provide a written estimate derived from census and business‑registry data.
The agency also described process improvements that implemented plain‑language communications, reduced backlogs, and increased customer satisfaction. Staff said additional hires would further reduce processing times.
Ending: Business Oregon committed to providing the committee with written follow‑up on the count of potentially eligible firms, a breakdown of processing time improvements, and continued outreach plans.
