Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program

In order to meet the eligibility standarps of the DBE Program, your small business must be:

1. At least fifty-one percent (51%) owned by one or more individuals who are both socially and economically disadvantaged (or, in the case of a corporation, one or more socially and economically disadvantaged individuals must own fifty-one percent (51%) of the stock)

   AND 

2. One or more socially and economically disadvantaged individuals who own it must control the management and daily business operations of your small business.

The are two ways to obtain application materials.

1. Many certification sites have their own web address. There is usually a DBE Program link among the list of features. The DBE application can be downloaded from this location. 
2. Application materials can also be obtained directly from the certification site by faxing requests on company letterhead to the designated DBE Officer. The fax should declare that the applying vendor "wants to be DBE certified" and that the vendor is "requesting a Schedule A application." 

After the application package has been submitted, the applying vendor should be prepared to present the following supplemental materials (in order to expedite the process, these materials can also be submitted along with the application package):

1. Profile of business/vendor (organization description) 
2. Proof of vendor's ethnicity/gender (i.e. birth certificate) 
3. List of vendor's business clients 
4. Three years of recent tax returns (business and/or personal taxes) 
5. Vendor's "Articles of Incorporation" (if applicable) 
6. Applicant's "corporate meeting" list, if applicable (an agenda for your first corporate meeting) 
7. Stock transfer letter, including a list the first stock(s) issued 

Following submission and processing of the vendor's application package, the DBE Officer will schedule a site visit. Your DBE Certification will be determined following this site visit.

Once your disadvantaged business has been certified, you are then able to work for DBE contractors. You will receive information about appropriate DBE meetings and contracts out for bid. Your business will also be listed in a Directory of Certified Firms.