How to Get Certified as a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise

This article appeared in print as part of “The Smaller Bidder.” 

MBE/WBE Certification

Minority- and woman-owned businesses can get a boost from state and federal programs intended to help them compete for and win government projects if they’re registered as a minority business enterprise, a woman business enterprise, or a disadvantaged business enterprise. Projects using state or federal money have goals built in for the percentage of the work that must go to MBE or WBEs. State and local entities, as well as the U.S. Department of Transportation, maintain vendor lists of certified companies and draw from them when they have a local need. To bid on projects as an MBE or WBE, businesses must be certified with the state or through the federally mandated Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program, or DBE. The Missouri Office of Equal Opportunity administers MBE and WBE certification, and MoDOT administers the DBE.

Who Qualifies?

MBE/WBE: An MBE or WBE is a business that’s at least 51 percent owned and controlled by a minority or a woman. The state of Missouri recognizes racial minority groups including African American, American Indian, Hispanic, and Asian American, among others. A woman who is also in one of the minority categories can qualify for dual classification, as long as she has relevant expertise, owns at least 51 percent of the company, and oversees daily operations.

DBE: The DBE program essentially comprises both the MBE and WBE groups. As part of a financial assistance program through the U.S. Department of Transportation, DBE in Missouri is administered by MoDOT’s External Civil Rights Division. DBE applies to companies owned and operated by “socially and economically disadvantaged individuals” who have been “subjected to racial or ethnic prejudice or cultural bias within American society.” DBE designation is used on projects that receive federal transportation money, such as road and bridge work contracted by MoDOT.

Getting Certified

MBE/WBE

• Complete and submit the application on the Missouri Office of Equal Opportunity website.
• Submit required documentation.
• Participate in an on-site visit.

Certification takes approximately 90 to 120 days.

DBE          

• Complete and submit the application on the MoDOT website.
• Provide related materials, such as resumes, documentation of the owner’s investment, tax records, lease agreements, records of equipment and vehicles, etc.
• Participate in an on-site interview.