Certified Small Business (CSB) Certification
CSB Certification at a Glance
What is it? A free certification that lets small businesses compete for State contracts reserved for small businesses.
Who's eligible? Independently owned, for-profit businesses that are not dominant in their field and fall under their industry's size limits.
How long does it take? You can be certified in as little as one day through eMaryland Marketplace Advantage (eMMA).
How long does it last? Three years. There is no cost to certify or to recertify.
Program benefits
Maryland's Small Business Reserve (SBR) Program directs at least 20 percent of State procurement spending to Certified Small Businesses (CSBs). On SBR solicitations, only CSBs can compete, so you bid as the prime contractor against other small businesses instead of large corporations.
The SBR Program was established in 2004 and is administered by the Office of Small, Minority, & Women Business Affairs (OSBA) at the Maryland Department of Social and Economic Mobility (DoSEM).
Important note: CSB certification opens the door to reserved contracts, but it does not guarantee an award. You still need to find opportunities, submit competitive bids, and deliver the work.
Am I eligible?
Your business can be certified as a CSB if it meets all of the following requirements.
Am I eligible for CSB certification?
Your business must be independently owned and operated. It cannot be a subsidiary of another business or a broker.
Only for-profit businesses can be certified. Nonprofit organizations are not eligible.
Your business cannot be dominant in its field of operation.
Your business must be at or under either the employee limit or the gross sales limit for its industry, based on a three-year average. If your business has operated for less than three years, average the years it has operated.
Wholesale: 50 employees and $4 million in gross sales
Retail: 25 employees and $3 million in gross sales
Manufacturing: 100 employees and $2 million in gross sales
Service: 100 employees and $10 million in gross sales
Construction: 50 employees and $7 million in gross sales
Architecture and engineering: 100 employees and $4.5 million in gross sales
How to apply
How to get certified as a CSB
-
Register for an eMMA account
Create a free vendor profile in eMaryland Marketplace Advantage (eMMA), the State's procurement system. All CSB applications are submitted through eMMA.
-
Review the application guide
The CSB Certification and Recertification Quick Reference Guide walks through each screen of the application in eMMA.
-
Get certified
After submitting the CSB application, if you meet the eligibility standards, your vendor profile updates instantly with your CSB number and a three-year Expiration Date.
-
Recertify every three years
Your certification is valid for three years. Renew it in eMMA before it expires. There is no cost to recertify.
What happens after I apply?
Certification can take as little as one day after you submit your complete application in eMaryland Marketplace Advantage (eMMA).
- Review: The Office of Small, Minority, & Women Business Affairs (OSBA) reviews your application to confirm your business meets the Small Business Reserve (SBR) Program requirements.
- Decision: You will receive an email telling you whether your business is approved or found non-compliant. If approved, you receive a Certified Small Business (CSB) number, valid for three years.
- Confirm your status: In eMMA, open the Documents tab and scroll to the Attestations & General Documents section to see your status and expiration date. Your CSB number also appears under State Programs in the Company Info section of your vendor profile.
Questions about your application? Contact us and ask to speak with an SBR Program Compliance Manager.
Find your next contract
FAQs
CSB FAQs
Under the Small Business Reserve, some solicitations are open only to Certified Small Businesses. Under the Small Business Preference, CSBs competing on eligible solicitations receive a price preference of up to 5 percent, 7 percent if veteran-owned, or 8 percent if disabled veteran-owned.
No. CSB certification is based on the size of your business and is open to any small business that qualifies. Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) certification is for businesses owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals and has its own application. A business that qualifies for both can hold both.
Questions about CSB certification?
Email [email protected] or call 410-697-9600 for help with your CSB application.