Central (CERT) Certification Program has Transitioned from the City of Saint Paul

The CERT certification collaborative is thrilled to announce an exciting new development in our commitment to supporting small, women, and minority-owned business enterprises.  The day-to-day management of the Central (CERT) Certification Program is transitioning from the City of Saint Paul to an outside company, Strong & Starlike Consulting, Inc. Following a Request for Proposals process last fall, Strong & Starlike Consulting, Inc. was awarded a contract to manage the CERT program. This website will serve as your main hub for updates on what is taking place with the transition.

What has Transitioned

The following aspects of the day-to-day management of the CERT Program has transitioned:

• Processing of certification applications received through the CERT website at https://cert.smwbe.com/ 

• CERT Monthly Workshops

• Communication with CERT about applications (phone calls, e-mails, messages in the CERT website located at https://cert.smwbe.com/)

What is Still Held by the City of Saint Paul & the CERT Board:

• Attending outreach events in the community

• Serving as a decision makers on appeals to a certification decision

• Processing of certification applications received through the State Portal located at https://sbcp.mn.gov/ 

What is the Timeline for the Transition:

• The transition began in June 2024 with the first phase of the transition completed the beginning of August 2024

What Do I Need to Do as a CERT Business or a Business Applying for CERT:

• Overall, during the transition period there may be some slight delays on processing applications; responding to support tickets; and responding to change requests made through the CERT system.

• During the transition, businesses may continue to apply for "New" certifications applications. However, the processing of "New" applications during this time will be on hold until July 2024. 

• During the transition, "Recertification" and "Reciprocal" applications will continue to be processed.

• During the transition, requests like Support Tickets and Change Requests may experience a delay until August 2024.

• One aspect of the transition is a "Database Clean Up". Businesses that are currently certified will receive an e-mail requesting to ensure that your business information in the CERT database is accurate and up to date. All certified businesses must respond to the request during this time. More information on the database clean up may be found here.