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Orlando adopts Small and Local Business Enterprise program after debate over preference levels
Summary
The Orlando City Council on April 20 adopted a Small and Local Business Enterprise program to give certified city-headquartered and regional small firms procurement preferences; council accepted a staff-led rollout plan and added a six-month review requirement after debate over the weight of preference points.
Orlando City Council voted on April 20 to adopt Ordinance No. 2025-47, creating a Small and Local Business Enterprise (SLBE) preference and suspending the former minority- and women-owned business enterprise provisions.
The ordinance establishes the program framework and city staff presented the implementing policies and procedures, eligibility thresholds, and a timeline for certification. Eric Uskowitz, the city's business development division manager, told the council the program will mirror Orange County in many respects and added that certified firms can expect an expedited certification path through reciprocity with other approved agencies. "Companies will be able to go to our website tomorrow, get logged on into the portal, and go through that certification application process," Uskowitz said during his presentation.
The policy package sets separate tracks for Local Business Enterprise…
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