Before you get started by mail
Our mission is to create equal opportunities for businesses of all kinds in Boston. After your business is certified with our office, we’ll include you in any outreach efforts we make for City projects. We can also connect you to resources offered inside and outside of the City.
You can apply for certification as:
- a small or local business
- a minority-owned business
- a woman-owned business, or
- a veteran-owned small business (you must be certified by the US Department of Veteran Affairs).
Get your info together
Print out and complete the small and local business application. You can see the definitions of each business type on page 8 of the application.
You'll need to include other documents with your application, including:
- a copy of your federal tax return from last year
- a copy of your current financial statement
- proof of your lease or property ownership
- five canceled checks written for your business, and
- current resumes for your company’s principal stakeholders.
You may need more documents depending on the type of business you own. Please read the guidelines on the application for more details.
On your application, you will need to enter codes in three different fields for your business:
- The North American Industry Classification Code, which depends on what types of goods or services you offer. You can pick up to three codes.
- The Category List Index Code, which also describes the services you offer. You can have up to three codes.
- The Commodity Code, which describes the types of products you sell. You can pick up to five codes.
Send us your application
You can mail your completed application and any related documents to:
Before you get started in person
Our mission is to create equal opportunities for businesses of all kinds in Boston. After your business is certified with our office, we’ll include you in any outreach efforts we make for City projects. We can also connect you to resources offered inside and outside of the City.
You can apply for certification as:
- a small or local business
- a minority-owned business
- a woman-owned business, or
- a veteran-owned small business (you must be certified by the US Department of Veteran Affairs).
Get your info together
Print out and complete the small and local business application. You can see the definitions of each business type on page 8 of the application.
You'll need to include other documents with your application, including:
- a copy of your federal tax return from last year
- a copy of your current financial statement
- proof of your lease or property ownership
- five canceled checks written for your business, and
- current resumes for your company’s principal stakeholders.
You may need more documents depending on the type of business you own. Please read the guidelines on the application for more details.
On your application, you will need to enter codes in three different fields for your business:
- The North American Industry Classification Code, which depends on what types of goods or services you offer. You can pick up to three codes.
- The Category List Index Code, which also describes the services you offer. You can have up to three codes.
- The Commodity Code, which describes the types of products you sell. You can pick up to five codes.
Give us your application
You can bring your completed application and any related documents to:
- You can search our database to find registered small businesses in Boston.
- We also have a list of all open bid projects in the City of Boston. You can get a paid mail subscription, or see a list of current bids online.