Certification Benefits and Process

Federal and State certification programs are designed to help your business grow and access contracting opportunities. If you are a minority, woman, or person of social and economic disadvantage who owns and controls a business, attend this free certification workshop.

How To Get Certified With OMWBE

State Certification is designed to help your business access the many state and federal contracting opportunities afforded to certified minority and or women owned businesses.  State certification includes Minority Business Enterprises (MBE), Women Business Enterprise (WBE), Minority Women Business Enterprise (MWBE), and Combined Business Enterprise (CBE).  Please click the links for more information.

Federal certification includes Disadvantage Business Enterprise commonly referred to as DBE certification and the Airport Concessionaire Disadvantaged Business Enterprise certification also known as the ACDBE. Please click on the links for more information.

The workshop is conducted by a Management Analyst 4 (MA4) responsible for review of applications.  The MA4 will walk participants through each point of eligibility step by step for both the STATE and FEDERAL Programs to learn if their firms qualify. Participants that do not qualify for OMWBE certification will be redirected to other certifications they may qualify for.  It is highly suggested that you complete the “Qwikchek” for your firm prior to attending the certification workshop; doing so may save you valuable time.

To register for a certification workshop, simply click certification registration.  If you have any questions you may contact Gerald Ballard, Management Analyst 4; Business Development & Agency Support Division by phone at (360) 664-9768 or email at geraldb@omwbe.wa.gov. 

Workshop locations and directions