LBE Certification Guide — SupplyPHL

LBE Certification Guide

SupplyPHL participants — we’ll pre-fill your application from your intake submission.

Find your business

Business name *

Enter your business name — we’ll find the closest match.

Searching participant records…

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No matching businesses found. Only enrolled SupplyPHL participants can use this tool. Contact supplyphl@urbanleaguephilly.org to verify your enrollment.

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Unable to reach the participant database. Please try again or contact supplyphl@urbanleaguephilly.org.

What is LBE? Local Business Entity certification gives Philadelphia-based businesses a 5–10% bid preference on City contracts. Free to apply, valid 5 years. Learn more ↗

Confirm your business

We found the following record. Confirm this is your business before we pre-fill your application. You can review and edit all details in the next step.

EIN: Structure:

Not the right business? Contact SupplyPHL to verify your enrollment.

Step 1 of 2 — Location eligibility

LBE certification requires your business to have a meaningful Philadelphia presence. Answer the questions below to check your location eligibility.

Is your business headquartered in Philadelphia? *

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Your HQ is outside Philadelphia. You can still qualify by meeting at least 2 of these 3 criteria. Check all that apply.

60%+ Philadelphia employees: More than 60% of your full-time employees list a Philadelphia address on the City’s Annual Reconciliation of Employer Wage Tax. 60% work time in Philadelphia: More than half of your full-time employees work in Philadelphia at least 60% of the time. 75%+ Philadelphia gross receipts: More than 75% of your gross receipts reported on your BIRT come from Philadelphia.

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You’ve checked 1 of 3 criteria. You need at least 2 to qualify on this check. If you believe you may meet additional criteria but are unsure, continue to the next step.

Step 2 of 2 — Licenses & operations

LBE certification requires your business to have been actively operating in Philadelphia. Answer all three questions below.

Does your business hold a Commercial Activity License (CAL)? *

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Your CAL must be at least 18 months old to qualify. Manage your CAL via eCLIPSE ↗

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A CAL is required to apply. Apply via eCLIPSE ↗, then return 18 months after issuance.

During the last 18 months, has your business continuously maintained a valid Commercial Activity License and all other licenses and permits required to conduct business with the City? *

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LBE requires continuous maintenance of a valid CAL for 18 months. If there was a lapse, you may not currently qualify. Contact SupplyPHL to discuss your situation before applying.

During the last 18 months, has your business continuously occupied, staffed, and conducted business in an office within Philadelphia? *

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LBE requires continuous occupancy of a Philadelphia office for 18 months. If your business has not been operating at a Philadelphia location for the full 18 months, you may not currently qualify. Contact SupplyPHL to discuss.

✨ Pre-filled from your SupplyPHL intake

Business information

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Please review and correct all fields below before continuing. This information will appear on your LBE application exactly as entered.

Legal business name *

DBA (if different)

Business street address *

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Your address on file is not in Philadelphia. Confirm this is correct. LBE requires a Philadelphia HQ or meeting 2 of the 3 alternative criteria.

Business phone *

Business email

EIN *

Legal structure *

Business start date *

State of incorporation *

Business website

Primary contact name *

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Your intake indicates the business is not yet formally structured. LBE requires an active registered entity. Register your business ↗ first.

Commercial Activity License number *

ℹ Check your eCLIPSE account or license certificate.

CAL date issued *

ℹ Date your CAL was issued — on your license certificate.

✨ Pre-filled from your SupplyPHL intake

Principal owners

List all principal owners. Combined ownership must total at least 51%.

Owner nameTitle% owned

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✨ Pre-filled from your SupplyPHL intake

Employee information

Full-time (W-2) employees *

Part-time / 1099 *

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Since your HQ is outside Philadelphia, document Philadelphia-based employees to support the alternative criteria.

Full-time employees who are Philadelphia residents *

Before you submit

Make sure you have the following ready before downloading and submitting your application.

You will need:

Most recent BIRT return
Business Income & Receipts Tax return filed with the City of Philadelphia

Supporting documentation for alternative criteria
Employment data, work location records, or BIRT receipts breakdown — based on the criteria you checked

Helpful links

↗ File or access your BIRT return ↗ eCLIPSE — manage your Commercial Activity License

Review & submit

Review your information below, then download your pre-filled application, attach your supporting documents, and email to the Procurement Department.

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Your application is ready to download. We’ve pre-filled the City’s LBE form with your information. Download it, review it, sign it, attach the documents below, and email everything to lbecertification@phila.gov.
You’ll receive a decision within 10 business days of receipt.

Generating your filled application…

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Could not generate PDF. Please try again.

Submission checklist

Check each item as you attach it to your email to lbecertification@phila.gov.

✉ Email lbecertification@phila.gov

🕐 Decision within 10 business days of receipt 🎉 Certification valid for 5 years 🔄 Annual Continuing Eligibility Affidavit due July 31 each year (notarized, mail to City) 📞 Questions? Call (215) 686-4720

Questions about this tool? Contact Charles Neal at cneal@urbanleaguephila.org.

Disclaimer: SupplyPHL and its nonprofit partners (Urban League of Greater Philadelphia, Economy League of Greater Philadelphia, and The Enterprise Center) provide this tool as a convenience to assist businesses in completing the LBE certification application. SupplyPHL and its partners are not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or acceptance of the application by the City of Philadelphia Procurement Department. All certification decisions are made solely by the City of Philadelphia.

Next steps for your business

Your business doesn’t currently qualify for LBE certification, but there are concrete steps you can take to become eligible — and SupplyPHL can help you get there.

📅 Get your Commercial Activity License

Every business operating in Philadelphia needs a CAL. Once issued, you must hold it for at least 18 months before applying for LBE certification.

↗ Apply for or renew your CAL via eCLIPSE ↗ Learn more about the Commercial Activity License

🏠 Establishing Philadelphia presence

To qualify without a Philadelphia HQ, you need to meet at least 2 of these 3 criteria: 60%+ of full-time employees are Philadelphia residents, employees work in Philadelphia 60%+ of the time, or 75%+ of BIRT gross receipts come from Philadelphia.

↗ Review full LBE eligibility requirements ↗ File or review your BIRT return

🏆 Other certifications to pursue now

While you work toward LBE eligibility, these certifications may be available and provide advantages on City contracts:

↗ M/W/DSBE Certification (Office of Economic Opportunity) ↗ SBA 8(a) Business Development Program ↗ HUBZone Certification

🤝 SupplyPHL can help

SupplyPHL works with businesses at every stage of readiness — including those working toward LBE eligibility. Reach out and a team member will help you map out the steps.

✉ supplyphl@urbanleaguephilly.org ↗ Contact SupplyPHL

Contact SupplyPHL ↗

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