Minority | Disadvantaged Businesses

FEDERAL

To register as a Minorty Business Enterprise (MBE), you must register your company with the System for Award Management (SAM) before you can apply to do business with the federal government and/or receive federal assistance.

Apply for a free nine digit with Duns & Bradstreet number (D-U-N-S)The D-U-N-S Number Is Used To Establish Your Company’s D&B® File, Which Can Help Potential Partners And Lenders Learn More About Your Business, And May Also Help Them Make More Informed Decisions About Whether Or Not To Work With You As A Client, Supplier, Or Partner.

Federal Code §124.103 definitions of "socially disadvantaged"

• Including but not limited to: Black Americans, Hispanic/Latinx Americans, Native Americans, Asian Pacific Americans, and Subcontinent Asian Americans
• Women
• Veterans

Small Business Administration

• To register your business: https://certify.sba.gov/   
• 8(a) Business Development Program: helps socially and economically disadvantaged small businesses grow by limiting competition for certain contracts to participating businesses, allowing them to become solid competitors in the federal marketplace.
• Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSBs)
• Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses program
  
  

U.S. Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Agency

• Atlanta MBDA Business Center

STATE

• Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) (certified by Georgia Department of Transportation):

GDOT can also process a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) certification once the DBE certification is approved and proper criteria are met. Once the criteria is met, the MBE application is then sent to Georgia Department of Administrative Services (DOAS) who will approve the MBE certification.

Third Party Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) Certifications:

There are a number of national and state associations/development councils that will assist business owners with the Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) certification process on the federal and state levels. Examples include:

• Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council (GMSDC)
• National Minority Supplier Development Council Certification (NMSDC)
• National Veteran Business Development Council (NVBDC)
• United States Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce Education Foundation - Southeast Region (USPAACC)
• Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC)