Certification for Minority-owned Businesses

DBE certification through city, county or state programs

We’ll begin with an

Eligibility Analysis

Certification Types

  • Different Minority, Disadvantaged & Woman-owned Business Certifications accepted by U.S. corporations (i.e., MBE or WBE).
  • Certifications used exclusively by federal and local governments [i.e., MBE, WBE, DBE, SBA 8(a) or WOSB]

    • Market Opportunities

  • Where to apply for certification, based on an analysis of relevant marketplace opportunities relevant to your business.

    • Business Evaluation

  • Primary owner(s) business, and personal circumstances; specifically:
  • areas negatively impacting your firm’s eligibility
  • corrections to make before applying
  • recommend potential solutions
  • reliable timeline to acquire certification

    • Eligibility Criteria for DBE

    The minimum requirements to qualify as a DBE under the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program are:

    • Applicants, by a preponderance of evidence, must meets all requirements concerning group membership (or individual disadvantage), business size, ownership, and control as defined in the 49 C.F.R. 26 Subpart D;
    • Fifty-one percent (51%) owned, capitalized, and controlled by one or more U.S. Citizens, or a legal resident (green card), who are socially and economically disadvantaged as defined below:
      • Social Disadvantage means an individual who is a member of a presumed
        group or a woman;
      • Economic Disadvantage means, in general terms, excluding the primary residence and ownership in the applicant firm, a socially disadvantage individual who does not have a personal net worth in excess of $1.32 million.
    • Be a for-profit business, located in the United States, independently owned and operated by one or more disadvantaged individuals;
    • Annual gross receipts, as defined by SBA regulations 13 CFR 121.402, averaged over previous three years, in excess of $23.98 million;
    • The acquisition of fifty-one percent (51%) business ownership by disadvantaged individuals must be real, substantial, on- going, beyond pro forma, as reflected in the entity’s governing and/or ownership documents;
    • A disadvantaged individual must hold the highest, executive office, be responsible for managing the firm’s day-to-day business and have a technical experience, in the firm’s primary business activity.