ABQ Buys Local

Does my business qualify as a "local business?"

A local business is one that maintains its principal office and place of business within the Greater Albuquerque Metropolitan Area (City of Albuquerque or Bernalillo County) and ownership resides 51 percent in the Greater Albuquerque Metropolitan Area.

Example: A business has its main office or storefront in the Greater Albuquerque Metropolitan Area and more than half of the owner(s) of that business also live here. A post office box shall not be considered a physical business address.

Does my business qualify as "doing business locally?"

A business is "doing business locally" if they do not maintain their principal office in Albuquerque but they maintain a storefront in the Greater Albuquerque Area and employs one or more Albuquerque residents.

Example: A franchise of a business that may be headquartered elsewhere (another city or state) but has a physical storefront here AND at least one resident of Albuquerque is employed at that storefront location.

Does my business qualify as a minority-owned business?

A Minority Business Enterprise, or MBE, is a business which is at least 51 percent owned and controlled by one or more minorities.

If it is a publicly-traded company, at least 51 percent of the company's stock must be owned by one or more minorities.

Example: If the business has 1 owner who identifies as a minority, the business would be 100 percent minority owned. If 2 out of 3 owners identify as minorities, the business is 66 percent minority owned.

A Minority is a person who is a citizen or lawful permanent resident of the United States and who identifies as:

• Hispanic American (includes persons of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race)
• Black American (includes persons have origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa)
• Native American (includes persons who are American Indians, Eskimos, Aleuts, or Native Hawaiians)
• Asian-Pacific American (includes persons whose origins are from Japan, China, Taiwan, Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, the Philippines, Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Trust Territories of the Pacific, and the Northern Marianas)
• Asian-Indian American (includes persons whose origins are from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh)
• Members of other groups, or other individuals, found to be economically and socially disadvantaged by the Small Business Administration under section 8(a) of the Small Business Act, as amended (15 U.S.C. 637(a)).

Does my business qualify as a women-owned business?

A Women-Owned Business is a business which is at least 51 percent owned and controlled by one or more women.

If it is a publicly-traded company, at least 51 percent of the company's stock must be owned by one or more women.

Example: If the business has 1 owner who is female, the business would be 100 percent women-owned. If 2 out of 3 owners are female, the business is 66 percent women-owned.

Why is the City of Albuquerque collecting this information?

The City of Albuquerque is interested in collecting information about whether or not a business is local in order to start tracking and increasing the amount of business that the City and other large institutions conducted with local businesses.

Additionally, the City needs information on minority-owned and women-owned businesses to comply with City Ordinance 5-6. This Ordinance sets out a policy for the city to take affirmative action to assure that a fair share of city purchases of goods and services is made from enterprises owned and controlled by minorities and women. As part of this policy the city undertakes to assure there are no undue or unnecessary requirements imposed by the city that inhibit or prevent purchases of goods and services from businesses that are otherwise qualified to provide such goods and services.

What if I don't have online access?

First, you can go to a local library near you to get online. Alternatively, we can have the form mailed to you.

Do I need physical proof to certify ?

No. This is a self-certification process, and the information will be used for outreach, tracking, and reporting. The City does has a vetting process once the form is received to insure validity. This may include random site visits.

Do I need to register to receive solicitation notifications and submit offers?

Yes.

Registration is required to submit offers on Requests for Quotations (RFQ), Bids (RFB) and Proposals (RFP) for City of Albuquerque solicitations, but registration is free.