In November 2020, Rochester City Council approved measures to promote fair procurement and employment practices on public infrastructure and publicly-funded private investment projects. These measures include the Targeted Business contracting objectives, Prevailing Wage standards, and Workforce Participation goals for City-funded Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) projects.

We aim to build capacity in our community by phasing in goals from 2021 through 2025.  These thresholds represent the minimum project costs for each respective year: 

• 2021: $5,000,000
• 2022: $3,000,000
• 2023: $1,000,000
• 2024: $500,000
• 2025 & Beyond: $175,000

• APEX Accelerator: Provides technical assistance to businesses interested in selling products or services to federal, state, and local government agencies.
• Collider Foundation: Activates, connects, and empowers Rochester's early-stage entrepreneurs with start-up support, education, co-working space, and storytelling.
• Red Wing Ignite: Supports entrepreneurs, businesses, and students for area economic growth.
• Rochester Area Economic Development, Inc.: Leads and supports economic, community, and workforce development initiatives that grow and diversify the greater Rochester area economy.
• Small Business Development Center Southeast Region: The Minnesota network of Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) provide the professional expertise and guidance for small business owners.

The City proudly supports businesses owned and operated by women, minorities, and veterans.  We recognize the following small business certifications: 

How to Apply for Certification 

To apply for any of these certifications, please visit the Minnesota Small Business Certification Portal.

• Rochester, Minnesota Areas Inclusive Workforce Recruiting, Training, and Retaining Resources
• Inclusive Workforce Employer (I - WE) WE Program - Workforce Development, Inc. (workforcedevelopmentinc.org)