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Committee approves moving to centralized certification database; staff to begin Oct. 1 rollout
Summary
The committee approved starting adoption of a centralized, shared certification database (B2Gnow) to reduce duplicative certification burdens on small businesses and to streamline cross-agency data sharing; initial vendor quote cited $30,000 setup and lower ongoing costs
The Jacksonville City Council Special Committee on JSEB approved on April 7 a plan to adopt a centralized certification and data‑sharing platform (B2Gnow) to reduce duplicative certification requirements for small businesses and to allow city agencies and local authorities to share verifications.
Why it matters: Local small and emerging businesses currently must pursue multiple certifications (JSEB, LSBE, MSBE, OEO, TWIC and others). Staff and committee members said centralized data sharing would reduce administrative burden, speed procurement qualification and enable better reporting.
Administration and staff input: Greg Grant said other local authorities and agencies are already using B2Gnow and that Jacksonville is the only major local entity not yet participating. He provided a vendor quote for initial setup of approximately $30,000 and said ongoing annual costs would be lower; with partner agencies, the city expects to piggyback and reduce its share of recurring expenses.
Decision and timing: Committee members voted to begin the centralized database program and set an internal start date of Oct. 1 for formal onboarding and implementation steps. Members asked staff to include the cost and staffing implications in upcoming budget planning and to coordinate with JTA, JEA and Jaxport and other partners already on the platform.
Ending: Committee members said the centralized approach should simplify certification for business owners and save administrative hours in the long run; staff will present cost-sharing and budget proposals as part of fall budget planning.
