DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS ENTERPRISE
DBE
DBE Certification is through the U.S. Dept. of Transportation allowing businesses at least 51% owned, operated, and controlled by economically and socially disadvantaged individual(s) to participate in DOT assisted contracting.
The purpose of the DBE Certification is to provide opportunities for disadvantaged, minority-owned businesses
to access DOT-related contracts from its three primary branches:
• Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
• Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
• Federal Transit Administration (FTA).
DBE Certification Benefits
DBE Certification makes your business more appealing for working on DOT-related projects. In addition, large corporations typically have supplier diversity programs to ensure that a percentage of their budgets are used to buy products/services from DBE Certified businesses for DOT-related projects
DBE Eligibility
Qualification Criteria for the DBE Program based on Regulations from 49 CFR Part 26
*Economically Disadvantaged Individuals are defined as those for whom impaired access to financial opportunities has hampered the ability to compete in the free enterprise system, in contrast to people in similar businesses not identified as socially disadvantaged.
*Socially Disadvantaged Individuals are defined as those who have been historically subjected to racial or ethnic prejudice or cultural bias within the larger American culture. Identified groups: African Americans, Asian Pacific Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, and Subcontinent Asian Americans, Women, and others deemed disadvantaged by the SBA.