• The goal of the Board is to create economic opportunities for certified Escambia County minority and/or service disabled veteran small business enterprises by encouraging them to compete for contracts and subcontracts for goods, materials, supplies, services, constructions, maintenance and renovations purchased by the Board. This program is to be implemented without sacrificing cost effectiveness based on the lowest and best responsible bidder criteria. It is the further goal of the Board to insure that all segments of the community, including minority and/or service disabled veteran small business enterprises,  have an effective opportunity for increased participation in the Board's purchasing program.

    The District utilizes the efforts of Florida's Department of Management Services' (DMS) Office of Supplier Diversity to certify and identify minority and/or service-disabled veteran small business enterprises located in Escambia County, Florida for its program.

    DEFINITIONS:

    1. SMALL BUSINESS ENTERPRISE: An independently owned and operated business concern which employs two hundred (200) or fewer permanent full-time employees, and which has a net worth of not more than five million dollars ($ 5,000,000.00). As applicable to sole proprietorships, the five million dollars ($5,000,000.00) net worth shall include both personal and business investments.

    2. MINORITY BUSINESS ENTERPRISE: Any small business concern as defined in Paragraph 1. above which is organized to engage in commercial transactions which are domiciled in Florida, and which are at least fifty-one percent (51%) owned, managed and controlled by: African-American, Hispanic-American, Asian-American, Native-American, or American Woman who are citizens of the United States and permanent residents of Florida. 

    3. MINORITY PERSON: Per DMS, a lawful permanent resident of Florida who is:

    a. An African-American, a person having origins in any of the racial groups of the African Diaspora.

    b. A Hispanic-American, a person of Spanish or Portuguese culture with origins in Spain, Portugal, Mexico, South America, Central America, or the Caribbean, regardless of race.

    c. An Asian-American, a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent, or the Pacific islands, including the Hawaiian Islands prior to 1778.

    d. A Native American, a person who has origins in any of the Indian Tribes of North America prior to 1835.

    e. An American Woman (non-ethnic female).

    4. SERVICE DISABLED VETERAN BUSINESS ENTERPRISE: Any small business concern as defined in 1. above which is organized to engage in commercial transactions which are domiciled in Florida, and which is at least fifty-one percent (51%) owned by a service disabled veteran (disability of 10% or more) and whose management and daily operations are controlled by such persons.  A service disabled veteran business enterprise may primarily involve the practice of a profession.

    5. SERVICE DISABLED VETERAN: The term "service disabled" means, with respect to disability, that the disability was incurred or aggravated in the line of duty on active service in the United States Armed Forces.  The term "service disabled veteran" means a veteran, as defined in 38 U.S.C. 101(2), with a disability that is service-connected, as defined in 38 U.S.C. 101(16).

    6. CERTIFIED MINORITY AND/OR SERVICE DISABLED VETERAN SMALL BUSINESS ENTERPRISE: A business that has been so certified by the State of Florida's Office of Supplier Diversity, appearing in their Online Certified Vendor Directory and identified as being located within Escambia County, Florida.

    7. MINORITY AND/OR SERVICE DISABLED VETERAN SMALL BUSINESS ENTERPRISE JOINT VENTURE:  A joint business association of minority and/or service disabled veteran small business and non-minority and/or non-small business firms

    Minority/Small Business Enterprise Supplier Catalog

    According to the School Board Rules of the Escambia County School District, a CERTIFIED MINORITY AND/OR SERVICE DISABLED VETERAN SMALL BUSINESS ENTERPRISE is a business that has been so certified by the State of Florida’s Office of Supplier Diversity, appearing in their Online Certified Vendor Directory and identified as being located within Escambia County, Florida.