Los Angeles County is creating increasing opportunities for LGBTQ-owned businesses. It’s doing so by expanding the county's Community Business Enterprise (CBE) certification program. 

LA County’s Department of Consumer and Business Affairs, heading up the initiative, has sought for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals to become more involved in city contracting. 

County officials explain they want to create opportunities for diverse and disadvantaged businesses, as studies have found these have been among the hardest hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. 

The new LGBTQ+ certification is the most recent addition to the CBE cert program, which assists businesses owned by disadvantaged people to compete and win county contracts. 

County contracts include a 25 percent participation goal for CBE-certified businesses. In order to be eligible for the LGBTQ+ certification, the business must be at a minimum of 51 percent owned and controlled by at least one individual that identifies as LGBTQ+.