Minority  |  Ohio Minority Business Bonding Program

All applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Be defined as a "Minority Business" as set forth in Section 122.71(E) (1) of the Ohio Revised Code.
• Be certified by the Equal Opportunity Division of the Department of Administrative Services as a minority business enterprise (MBE).
• Applicant must not have defaulted on a previous bond issued by the Director and no general or limited partner or shareholder in the minority business enterprise may have defaulted on a previous bond issued by the Director.

All projects must meet the following criteria:

• Be economically sound,
• Benefit the people of the state by increasing opportunity for employment, and
• Expand the minority business enterprise.

The applicant must meet the following criteria:

• Demonstrate adequate insurance coverage on its business operation and key employees.
• Have a line of credit equal to or greater than 20 percent of the bonded amount or;
• Demonstrate sufficient financial resources to justify a lesser credit facility.

Once accepted into the program, businesses will be required to provide quarterly financial statements prepared by an independent certified public accountant, a license public accountant or a preparer acceptable to the Director to maintain their eligibility.

The Director will require removal of state tax liens.

There is no fee for Minority Business Bonding Program application and there is no fee for bid bonds if the applicant's bid is not successful.

The applicant shall pay a premium (in advance) for each bond to be issued by the Director. This is not to exceed two percent of the penal sum of the bond. The premium may be adjusted upward or downward if the contract amount is changed by more than the less of 5% or $10,000.00.

• Step 1: Contact Allen McConnell, Manager, Minority Business Development Division to begin application process.
• Step 2: Documentation will be reviewed by the Minority Business Development Division for eligibility.
• Step 3: If eligible, Minority Business Development Division will present to Minority Development Financing Advisory Board (MDFAB).
• Step 4: If approved by MDFAB, request will be sent to State Controlling Board for approval and disbursal of State funds.
• Step 5: If approved, Development Services Agency will prepare Commitment Letter between State and borrower which must be signed.

The review and approval process begins when the company submits a bonding application. The application and supporting documentation are then reviewed by the Minority Development Financing Advisory Board (which meets every fourth Tuesday).

The Minority Development Financing Advisory Board will:

• Weigh financial viability (history of profits on a majority of contracts is expected), capacity to perform, and collateral.
• Expect current ratios of at least .98:1 and debt ratios of less than 5:1.
• Evaluate applicant's banking relationships.
• Evaluate whether the applicant has demonstrated ability to compete in the private sector.
• Consider the job generation potential of the project and/or applicant.
• Consider the positive impact to the state of granting the requested assistance to the applicant.

The Board will not consider applicants that:

• Submit inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Submit financial statements that are not reliable.
• Have filed a Chapter 7 or 11 bankruptcy in the last three years.

If approved, the application is submitted to the State Controlling Board for approval, and a pre-qualification letter will be issued to the company to allow it to submit request(s) for actual bond issuance.