Airport Concessions Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) Program

The City of Cleveland Department of Port Control's Airport Concessions Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) Program is designed to ensure a level playing field from which ACDBEs can successfully compete for airport concessions contracts. The program will help ACDBE firms participate in the enhancement of Cleveland Hopkins International and Cleveland Burke Lakefront Airports, as well as assist firms that are not ACDBEs in meeting ACDBE participation goals. The program is also designed to provide those firms who are eligible as ACDBEs in becoming certified ACDBEs with the City of Cleveland pursuant to federal requirements under 49 CFR Part 23.

The City of Cleveland encourages ACDBE partnering opportunities with any and all airport concessionaires and regulatory agencies.

HOW DOES A FIRM BECOME A CERTIFIED ACDBE?

A firm can be considered for certification as an ACDBE if the firm falls under the following classifications:

• Size standards used to determine the eligibility of ACDBEs

• A small business may be eligible to be certified as an ACDBE if it's gross receipts, averaged over the firm's previous three fiscal years, do not exceed $47.78 million.

• The following types of businesses have size standards that differ from the standard set forth above

• Banks and financial institutions: $750 million in assets;
• Car rental companies: $63.71 million annual gross receipts over the firm's previous three fiscal years; and
• Pay telephones: 1,500 employees.

• Personal net worth standard for disadvantaged owners of ACDBEs

• The personal net worth standard used in determining eligibility is $750,000. Any individual who has a personal net worth exceeding this amount is not considered to be a socially and economically disadvantaged individual, even if the individual is a member of a group otherwise presumed to be disadvantaged.

Socially Disadvantaged (owners must be citizens of the United States who are included in one or more of the following groups):

• Black Americans
• Hispanic Americans
• Asian-Pacific Americans
• Subcontinent Asian Americans
• Women
• Any other group classified as disadvantaged by the SBA in the future

In the event that a firm has already been certified as a DBE firm and is interested in becoming certified as an ACDBE, the firm must ensure that the disadvantaged owners are able to control the firm with respect to its activity in the concessions program. In addition, there is no requirement to certify a 49 CFR Part 26 DBE firm as a 49 CFR Part 23 ACDBE if that firm does not perform work relevant to the airport's concession program.

SHOULD I APPLY?

Is your firm at least 51% owned and controlled by an individual who is both socially and economically disadvantaged?

Is the disadvantaged owner a U.S. citizen or a lawfully-admitted permanent resident of the United States?

Is your firm an independent business whose viability is not dependent on another firm(s) for its survival?

Is your firm an organized for-profit small business, as defined by the Small Business Administration (SBA)?

If you answered "YES" to all of the above questions, you may be eligible to participate in the ACDBE Program.