Get Certified & Compete at the Highest Levels
*Apply Below for All Certifications Needed to Compete as a Diverse Supplier
We Encourage You to Apply for Certifications in your 1st 30 days of membership so you can compete for contracts sooner !
Certifications for women small business suppliers are official designations or credentials that indicate a business’s eligibility, qualifications, or compliance with certain standards or requirements.*Apply below for certifications.
*We recommend being strategic & only applying for the certification that represents the sector you wish to work in.
1 Corporate Certifications: Want to work w/ major Corporate Companies? Get Certified to Do Business w/ Major Corporations:
See below the following national certifying bodies recognized by most corporations and are utilized to prioritize diverse suppliers: Click links to apply!
- Supplier Gateway (Only accepted when transacting via their platform): EDC (Enhanced Digital Certification). Start Here. For Questions See Program or contact info@QCwomeninbusiness.com.
- WBE: Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC)
- MBE: CVMSDC, Carolinas-Virginia Minority Supplier Development Council, a division of the National Minority Supplier Development Council For Questions: Marjilette.Brown@cvmsdc.org
- ASIAN: U.S. Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce (USPAACC)
- VBE: National Veteran Business Development Council (NVBDC)
- VBE: National Veteran-Owned Business Association (NaVOBA)
- LGBTBE: National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC)
- Disability IN: Supplier Diversity Certification (Disability IN)
2a. Local: City of Charlotte: (City of Charlotte, NC) Get Certified to do Business w/ City of Charlotte: M/W/S/B/E -(Minority Women Small Business Enterprise)
Minority certifications are used to prioritize diverse suppliers.
City of Charlotte: To Get Certified as an MWBE in the City of Charlotte you can complete the following steps. Click link to apply!
City of Charlotte M/W/S/B/E Certification (minority women small business enterprise): For a City of Charlotte MWSBE Designation, you will want to go to the application page: https://charlotte.diversitycompliance.com/ and choose “Apply for/renew certification”.
**It will have you set up a vendor profile in the system and will take you to the application process for MWSBE certification.
Application assistance:
- Tibbs@charlottenc.gov 704-366-5066
- Smith@charlottenc.gov 704-432-3304
- Torres@charlottenc.gov
3a. Local State of North Carolina: Get Certified to Do Business w/ NC STATE HUB as a MWSBE/HUB:
The NC HUB Office also invites you to go directly through the State of North Carolina for the MWBE vs the City level.
MWBE Certified via HUB/SWUC: To register as an MWBE you will want to apply via the Statewide Uniform Certification (SWUC) Program or HUB, as it is also called.
To start the registration process please visit: https://evp.nc.gov/ or Start Here:
For HUB/SWUC application assistance: vendor@nc.gov or helpdesk 888-211-7440 option #2
3b. Local State of South Carolina:
Registering in the state’s procurement system is necessary to do business with state government. Once registered with SC, you will have visibility and access to bidding on contracts that may require your products and services.
Other SC state recognized certifications include:
- Minority Business Enterprise(MBE) – Offered by the S.C. Division of Small a Minority Business Contracting & Certification – POC: Johnny Burch, johnny.burch@admin.sc.gov
- Small Business Enterprise (SBE) – Offered by SCDOT – POC: Delicia Wingard, Certification Program Manager, 803-737-4449
- Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) – Offered by SCDOT – POC: Delicia Wingard, Certification Program Manager, 803-737-4449
3c. Local State of Indiana. (INDIANA STATE) Get Certified to Do Business w/ INDIANA STATE as a MWBE: *Indiana has a reciprocity program, which means being registered with South Carolina first can fast track your Indiana application. (Contact SC state to start the process)
The Indiana Department of Administration, Division of Supplier Diversity has relaunched the Secured Supplier Portal and is only taking applications through the electronic application process. Start Here:
For more information regarding how to apply for certification, please visit https://www.in.gov/idoa/mwbe/
Or Contact Kesha Rich at 317/232-3061
4. (NC DEPT OF TRANSPORATION) Get Certified to Do Business with Local Airports/Dept of Transportation via getting DBE/ACDBE
Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Certification: Often required for businesses seeking to participate in federally-funded transportation-related projects. Click here to start.
Airport Concessions/Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) Certification: Often required for businesses seeking to participate in Airport concessions-related projects
- DBE or ACDBE Certified via NCDOT to work w/ Highways & Transportation & with Airports:
- Start here:
- To access the NCDOT Online Certification Portal for the first time, follow steps 1 and 2 below.
- Register as an individual for the NCID.
- Complete EBS access request form.
- To access the NCDOT Online Certification Portal for the first time, follow steps 1 and 2 below.
- Start here:
NCDOT application assistance:
5. (FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING): Get Certified to do business with the US Federal Government: (*Allows you to contract with Government entities nationwide or at your state and county level)
- Small Business Administration (SBA) Certifications:
- Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB) and Economically Disadvantaged Woman-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB) Certifications: These are for businesses majority-owned by women and provide advantages in federal contracting. Click here to start. Angela Brewer or Aregnaz Mooradin with the SBA can help to answer questions.
- 8(a) Certification: This certification is for small businesses owned by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. It provides access to government contracts and resources. Click here to start.
- HUBZone Certification: For businesses operating in Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUB Zones). It provides preferences in federal contracting. Click here to start.