Renaissance was formed almost 40 years ago with a mission to transform lives and communities through entrepreneurship. Its mission is to empower and increase the entrepreneurial capacities of socially and economically diverse women and men, and thereby strengthen our communities through the creation of sustainable new businesses, new jobs, and financial self-sufficiency.

Our offices provide entrepreneurs with mentorship, training, tools, and networking that help businesses deliver their products and services.

Renaissance offers services at locations in San Mateo County in East Palo Alto, in South San Francisco at the Economic Advancement Center,and in North Fair Oaks at the Economic and Employment Center. We also operate in Santa Clara County, in an office in San Jose.

We also have services throughout the Bay, including San Francisco’s Bayview/Hunters Point and SoMa,, and in Richmond serving Alameda and Contra Costa Counties.

Renaissance, in partnership with San Mateo County’s Equity Innovation Fund, is helping San Mateo County-based small businesses to:

1.) Build Capacity to be successful in bidding on and executing contracts through our innovative, wraparound program for small businesses in San Mateo County. Learn more here.

2.) Get Certified as Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE), Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) certifications and Section 3 business readiness.

As certified businesses, you will be able to bid on and secure contracting opportunities with local, state, and federal government entities and corporations. You or your business must be based in San Mateo County.

The goal of this certification program is to create systemic change for San Mateo County business owners who are people of color, women and lower-income by opening doors to new contracting opportunities that will lead to more stable, diversified revenues and ultimately individual economic prosperity. It will also provide a pipeline of qualified businesses to government and corporate entities seeking to achieve their supplier diversity goals.

This initiative is called the BizCert Program.

Your business has to be either registered in San Mateo County or its majority owner should be resident of San Mateo County.

You may have a business that works in multiple locations and has multiple business licenses. If your contractor’s license is in San Mateo County or your headquarters is in San Mateo County, then you would qualify for this program.

If you are outside of San Mateo County, you can contact one of Renaissance’s other offices around the Bay to get support for your business.

The majority owner / applicant must be a US Citizen or Permanent Resident. If you are undocumented, you cannot take part in this particular program, but you can still receive services to grow your business. Visit RenCenter.org for more information, send us an email at bizcert@rencenter.org or call 650-829-4652.

Securing government contracts is a great way to grow your business, but it isn’t immediate. Renaissance will help your business create a scalable business plan. You will learn the necessary skills to be successful in bidding on government contracts and winning.

Meanwhile, the County of San Mateo and cities and school districts are looking to prioritize small, certified businesses in contracting. Demonstrating that your business is qualified is your best chance of success.

Many government agencies, including the State of California (CalTrains, CPUC, etc.) already have programs in place which enable certified businesses to receive a kind of preference in evaluation during the contract application process.

Certifications are a way of communicating to potential clients more about who owns your business, and what kind of business they would be supporting if they become your client.

Potential clients also include government agencies, who are looking specifically to contract with small businesses owned by women, people of color, and other traditionally disadvantaged firms.

Government agencies contract for all kinds of goods and services, from dairy products, to ambulance services, to painting contractors, to curriculum developers. Businesses in the construction industry typically have the most opportunities for government contracts, but so do wholesalers, providers of professional services, and others.

To be eligible and benefit, businesses must be in business legally and operating with all permits and licenses.

You may also just decide you want to be a certified business and use it in your regular marketing! But the program we have created is best for businesses which have the intention of pursuing bigger contracts.

Non-profit organizations are not eligible for MBE/WBE/Section 3 certification because there is no majority owner. We know that non-profit organizations can be certified through the State of California procurement system. However, Renaissance is not offering support to get certified as a non-profit organization through the Business Certification program at this time. Please contact us if you are a non-profit organization looking for support.

This particular program is a new initiative to help San Mateo County businesses become MBE/WBE/DBE certified so they can pursue government contracts, so what sets it apart is its focus on San Mateo County businesses and businesses owned by San Mateo County residents.

It also enables participants in the program to take part in a 5-module program (24 hours of class) that builds their capacity to bid on and win government contracts. Thanks to our partner and funder, the San Mateo County Equity Innovation Fund, this program is completely free for participants, which is unusual for many such capacity building programs.

Renaissance as an organization and especially its Contractors of Color program in the Bayview, San Francisco, has worked with a wide variety of businesses, but there is no guarantee we’ve ever worked with your business type.

Since this is a new program in San Mateo County, we only have 2 businesses who have become certified - and their success is in process!

However, we can point to Renaissance’s Contractors of Color program in the Bayview, San Francisco, as evidence of success. Many contractors there became certified as LBEs (Locally Owned Business Enterprises) and were contracted to work on the Port of San Francisco and the construction of the Chase Center. Yvonne’s Southern Sweets, another Renaissance client, got her certification and also sells at the Chase Center.

Many large corporations have programs to increase participation from businesses that have these certifications. Examples include Kaiser Permanente, Genentech and Meta.

But most of this program will focus on public procurement - or working with the state, counties, cities and school districts to provide goods and services.

Renaissance is working with the County of San Mateo to build a master database of certified businesses to make it easy for procurement officers to find your business. That is realistically at least a year away.

In the meantime, you will have the opportunity to network with other business owners as part of the program and Renaissance will organize events for participants to meet representatives of potential buyers from the County of San Mateo and local companies.

Renaissance will also guide you on where to look for bidding opportunities and what professional organizations and groups to affiliate with to increase your network and recommendations.

It can take as little as 4-6 weeks, but we anticipate the timeframe will be longer for first-time applicants, as it can take time to get the necessary documentation together.

There is no test to become certified. It is based on who you are, not what you know. If your paperwork is in order and you have evidence that the majority owner meets the requirements, then it is relatively easy to get the certification. If you need to restructure your business, find birth certificates, update a license, or prepare back taxes, it may take longer and be harder.

Of course, getting contracts will take some investment of your time. We have created a course for you that includes 5 modules (24 hours of lessons) to build your capacity as an entrepreneur and your skills to bid on and win contracts. Most of the work for that program is done in class or with support. The program is hands-on and actionable; it’s not just 24 hours of listening.

Renaissance will give you guidance on the paperwork you need to assemble for certification. Depending on your business, it may require you to formalize a partnership, update a license, or prepare back taxes. Renaissance can provide technical assistance for some of these items, but you will need to do some of it independently. We are always available for questions and guidance.

More importantly, you will have access to a completely free training program to help you build the knowledge and skills necessary to use your certification.

Some national MBE/WBE/DBE certifications have a fee associated with their program. The MBE/WBE/DBE certification Renaissance is preparing you for has no fee. The Section 3 program does not have a fee

Some national MBE/WBE/DBE certifications have a fee associated with their program. The MBE/WBE/DBE certification Renaissance is preparing you for has no fee. The Section 3 program does not have a fee.

Some businesses are not a good match for this particular certification program. For example, a cottage food operator, a retail clothing store, or an auto repair shop are not likely to benefit from government contracting in San Mateo County. Businesses outside of San Mateo County also do not qualify, but they still can become Renaissance clients and receive services to grow their businesses.

To become a Renaissance client, it is necessary to fill out an intake and income verification form. As a client, you can participate in Renaissance’s various programs, many of which are free to clients and can help you build other skills or access capital to grow your business. Renaissance is a great resource for you and your business.

Please visit the BizCert website at rencenterbizcert.org or contact bizcert@rencenter.org with your questions.