IACCGH Small Business Series Highlights Houston City Contracts

Alejandro Guajardo, a Business Development Manager at the City of Houston's Office of Business Opportunity (OBO), walked attendees through the certification process and the network of agencies that accept it, emphasizing that the city currently charges no fee for certification or recertification.

Guajardo explained that the process starts with a pre-certification workshop held on the first and third Tuesday of each month, followed by an online application, preliminary screening, and a desk audit. Financial audits, where applicable, go back five years per SBA standards. He noted there is no expediting, and businesses must simply follow the steps.

OBO certification is recognized by Harris County, Port Houston, Houston ISD, Fort Bend ISD, Houston Community College, Houston First, METRO, and the Houston Airport System, among others. IACCGH Founding Secretary and Executive Director Jagdip Ahluwalia said OBO has the least cumbersome process, and once certified with the city, other agencies accept it.

The session also covered the Hire Houston First program, which gives locally certified businesses a 3% to 5% bidding preference over non-local competitors. Guajardo said businesses can win contracts if their price is within that range of the lowest non-local bid.

OBO's External Affairs division runs additional programs, including Meet the Buyer, an annual December event that drew over 700 attendees and 63 exhibitor tables in 2025. The Turner School of Construction Management offers free training for small, minority-owned, and women-owned businesses, and the Houston Small Business Legal Consultation Project provides free limited-scope legal guidance on contracts, leases, and other matters.