Office of Equity and Inclusion
Through the Office of Equity and Inclusion, the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission is furthering its efforts to foster competition for its business, diversify its partnerships, build capacity in those communities within its corridor and ensure that small, minority and other disadvantaged businesses have a full opportunity to transact business with the Commission in an endeavor to achieve their own economic goals.
We stand ready to help businesses in any way possible. Please call (440) 971-2116 or email or us with your questions or concerns.
Certification
Thank you for your interest in doing business with the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission. As part of the Commission’s efforts to diversify its supply chains, the Office of Equity and Inclusion issues distinct certifications for entities qualifying as Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs), Local Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (LDBEs), Small Business Enterprises (SBEs).
To determine if your company meets the requirements for each certification, review the Office of Equity and Inclusion’s Standards and Practices, which is also generally summarized as follows:
| Certification | Ownership and Control | Business Location/Size Standard | FastTrack Application Eligibility |
| MBE | At least 51% Owned and Controlled by Minority Individual(s) | Physical presence in Ohio | Ohio Department of Administrative Service (DAS) as MBE |
| City of Cleveland (Cleveland) as MBE |
| Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD) as MBE |
| LDBE | At least 51% Owned and Controlled by Socially Disadvantaged Individuals | Physical presence in Ohio and revenues below the federal SBA Size Standards or headquartered in Qualified Census Track (HubZone or DAS Enterprise Zone) | Federal/UCP as DBE |
| DAS as EDGE |
| Cleveland as FBE and CCSB, CSB or RCSB |
| NEORSD as DBE |
| SBE | At least 51% Owned or Controlled by individual with personal net worth less than $1.32 million, Headquartered in a Qualified Census Track or certified as MBE or LDBE | Physical presence in Ohio and revenues below 50% of the federal SBA Size Standards | ODOT as SBE |
| Federal/UCP as DBE |
| DAS as EDGE |
| Cleveland as MBE |
| Cleveland as FBE and CCSB, CSB or RCSB |
| NEORSD as DBE |
If your company meets the requirements to participate in the Commission’s Diversity and Inclusion Program, follow the link to access its application portal: Compliance and Certification Online System.
Available Certified Businesses
The process to become certified as a Small Business Enterprise (SBE), Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) or Disadvantage Business Enterprise (DBE) is simple.
Businesses seeking to partner with certified companies to meet or exceed the applicable goal can search the Commission’s Directory of Certified Businesses available through its Compliance and Certification Online System.
Businesses that are not certified with the Commission, but certified through another recognized certifying authority may satisfy the Good Faith Efforts requirements. The business must be certified with the Commission or other recognized authority at bid opening or the proposal deadline to receive credit toward the Commission’s inclusion goal for purposes of Good Faith Effort evaluation. Accordingly, prime contractors are strongly encouraged to further utilize the following registries in addition to the Commission’s Directory:
Department of Administrative Services MBE Registry
Department of Administrative Services EDGE Registry
Ohio Uniform DBE Certification Program Registry
Ohio Department of Transportation SBE Registry
City of Cleveland MBE and FBE and CCSB, CSB or RCSB Registry
North East Ohio Regional Sewer District MBE and DBE Registry
Do not hesitate to contact the Office of Equity and Inclusion for assistance in identifying available businesses to potentially participate in any given project through email or calling 440-971-2116.
Good Faith Effort
In accordance with Resolution No. 18-2014, adopted March 24, 2014, and Resolution No. 43-2016, adopted June 20, 2016, the Commission instituted a requirement that bidders on public improvement projects and respondents to Request for Proposals demonstrate Good Faith Efforts to utilize Minority, Disadvantage and Small Business Enterprise firms. The Office of Equity and Inclusion has established a policy and procedure to determine whether the obligation to use Good Faith Efforts are fulfilled. Please visit our Standards and Practices for more information on the Commission’s Good Faith Effort procedures.
Compliance
Prevailing Wage
Ohio's prevailing wage laws generally apply to all Commission projects involving the Turnpike right-of-way and its buildings that are fairly estimated to cost more than the minimum thresholds the Director of the Ohio Department of Commerce establishes biennially. The Commission includes specific contract requirements for projects that invoke the Contractor’s (and its subcontractors’) prevailing wage obligations under state law. The Commission further requires that all construction contractors and subcontractors providing any labor on the site must be enrolled in the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation Drug-Free Safety Program, or a similar program approved by the BWC, and have an active Workers’ Compensation policy coverage.