Small and Emerging Business Training and Development

Dear Jacksonville Small and Emerging Business Owner,

The City of Jacksonville’s Small and Emerging Business (JSEB) Collaboration is an unprecedented opportunity for you to fully participate in the City’s procurement process. Among the requirements for certification and recertification to do business with the City, small and emerging businesses must document participation in the training and development component of the City’s certification program.

A total of 100 points attained through participation in a variety of educational opportunities must be documented by each small business owner each year. This communication is intended to highlight the 30-hour education and training program provided in collaboration by Florida Community College, the University of North Florida’s Small Business Development Center (UNF/SBDC), the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business Center at Gateway (SBC) and other City of Jacksonville agencies.

Specifically, the education component shall support the City’s goals to:

1. Increase the number of small and emerging businesses certified to do business with the City.
2. Increase the number of small and emerging businesses that successfully compete for City procurement contracts or participate as subcontractors.
3. Increase the viability and survival of small and emerging businesses, adding to the entrepreneurial base.
4. Prepare small and emerging business owners, over time, to make the transition from small business status.

The 30-hour, six module education component, when completed, has been approved by the City of Jacksonville to satisfy the required 100 points. The six (6) modules include (1) Business Communication and Protocol, (2) Legal Business Structure and Contracts, (3) Procurement Processes/Certification and Recertification, (4) Understanding Your Business and (5) Finances and Accounting Procedures for Small Businesses. The sixth module will be shaped by the needs identified through the enclosed assessment. There will be no charge for some small and emerging business owners. Once the annual training program criteria have been met and your Small and Emerging Business Application has been approved, you will be part of the City of Jacksonville’s Small and Emerging Businesses Pool of Vendors and you will be eligible to bid for City contracts.

There will also be an option to take selected modules instead of all six for proportional point credit. As an example, Module 1, Business Communication and Protocol is worth 14 points. Module 3, Procurement Processes, is worth 20 points.

Please take the time to download and print out the assessment form and return to Marcia Matthews as soon as possible via mail or fax. Even if you are not interested in the training program, please complete and return the assessment form. This will allow us to better understand the Jacksonville Small and Emerging Business population.

Should you have any questions or need any clarification please do not hesitate to contact Marcia Matthews, project coordinator, at 904.766.6569.

Thank you,

Dr. Barbara Darby
President, Florida Community College
North Campus

cc: Marcia Matthews
Program Coordinator
Small and Emerging Business Collaboration
mmatthew@fccj.edu
904.766.6569
904.766.6650 (Fax)

Ivy Johnson
Chief EEO, Procurement
City of Jacksonville

For additional information, contact Marcia Matthews, project coordinator, at 904.766.6569 or fax 904.766.6650.