About Certification

Getting your small business certified opens the door to new opportunities and valuable support. Certified businesses can bid on city projects with established goals or partner with other contractors on these projects. Once certified, your business is added to a searchable online vendor directory used by agencies, prime contractors, and other small businesses seeking certified firms.

For those firms working on city projects, certification also provides an added layer of support and protection from the Division of Small Business Opportunity (DSBO).r. Additionally, certified businesses gain access to exclusive business development resources, mentoring, and networking opportunities. Ultimately, certification can help your business grow, connect, and thrive. 

To participate in opportunities that are city funded or on city land we recommend getting one or more of the city certifications (EBE/MWBE/SBE/SBEC).

• For subcontracting opportunities - MWBE certification. 
• For prime contracting opportunities - EBE/SBE certifications.   
• For concessionaires engaging in the sale of food, beverage, or retail or providing goods/services to businesses operating concessions*. – SBEC certification.

To participate in opportunities that at federally funded (Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Federal Transit Admin (FTA), Federal Aviation Admin (FAA)) we recommend that you get one or more of the USDOT certifications. 

• For subcontracting opportunities - DBE certification.
• For concessionaires engaging in the sale of food, beverage, or retail at airports or providing goods/services to concessionaires-ACDBE certification

 *Concessionaire certifications do not include construction activities.

If you are looking for opportunities in both arenas, you can apply for both city and USDOT federal certifications. 

If you have specific questions about the ACDBE certification program, please visit the DEN website or email DEN-ACDBE@flydenver.com

As there are other types of certifications that are recognized in different sectors (city vs private vs federal), we recommend that you ask your clients what certifications they recognize. DSBO is happy to help you figure out which certifications make the most sense for your business.

Only small, independent businesses, owned and controlled by socially and/or economically disadvantaged individuals are eligible for certification. While the eligibility requirements are similar for each certification program, they are not identical. Please view the eligibility criteria guide for more detailed information.

The City’s certification programs, including the eligibility requirements for participating small businesses, is codified in the Denver Revised Municipal Code (D.R.M.C.) Title I, Chapter 28, Article III, Article V, and Article VII (MWBE, SBE, EBE, SBEC certification). ACDBE and DBE program standards are found in Title 49 Parts 23 and 26 of the Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.).

For the federal certification programs, you can apply the day you start your business as long as you are operational. However, for the City’s certifications, your firm must be actively in business for at least six months before you can become certified.

All applications are completed online through the Small Business Certification and Contract Management System:  https://denver.mwdbe.com. If you are a first-time user, you must first create a vendor profile for your business. System prompts will direct you to the correct application.

Yes, once you start an application, you can save your progress and return to it at a later time. However, you must submit your application within 90 days. After 90 days, your application will be automatically purged, and you will have to start over.

Applications are reviewed and a determination made by DSBO’s certification team. After you submit your application, it is placed into an intake queue and reviewed to ensure it is complete. If there are missing documents or information, or if DSBO cannot open an uploaded document, DSBO will return your application with instructions on how to fix it. You will then have to resubmit your application. Once DSBO has determined your application is complete and ready for review and processing, it will be received and assigned to a Certification Analyst who will review your application and conduct the on-site visit.

Once your application is submitted and received by DSBO, it can take up to 90 days for DSBO to review your application and provide you with a determination. You can help this process move more quickly, by scheduling your site visit promptly and responding to any additional requests for documentation or information quickly and completely.

Most of the communications that DSBO sends out comes from our Small Business Certification and Contract Management System, so make sure to add denver@mwdbe.com to your safe sender list and make sure your contact information in your vendor profile is kept up to date.

Yes, there is a single $200 non-refundable application processing fee to submit an application for MWBE, SBE, EBE, or SBEC certification. Additionally, there is a $50 non-refundable processing fee  for the annual/triannual  review of your certifications. There is no fee to apply for the federal ACDBE or DBE certifications.

NAICS (pronounced “nakes”) stands for North American Industry Classification System;a widely used two- through six-digit tiered system that classifies businesses into industries according to similarity in goods and services for use by statistical and other governmental agencies. For certification, a NAICS code describes, as specifically as possible, the principal goods or services your business provides. A complete and valid NAICS code contains six digits and a corresponding index entry (CIE).

You can search for NAICS codes at  https://www.census.gov/naics.

There are many reasons why you should carefully consider your NAICS codes.

• The NAICS Codes that you are certified in will be listed on your profile and on your certification letter. These are the codes that will count towards goals/utilization plans. 
• Make you searchable to prime companies and agencies when searching through the Certified Vendor Directory. 
• The Small Business Administration (SBA) uses NAICS codes to determine size standards. If you want to be classified as a small business, your company’s revenues must be under a certain amount depending on your industry and NAICS codes.  
• Some agencies post contract bids to any business within a given NAICS code, such as the SBA through the System for Award Management (SAM) or the City and County of Denver through BidNet and Work4Denver.  

Financial documents, such as tax returns, provide evidence that an applicant is conducting the business as described in its application and is owned and controlled by an eligible owner(s). It also serves as evidence that the applicant company’s gross receipts are under the requisite size standards to be considered a small business. Our certification process does not evaluate the profitability or financial viability of your business. 

The supporting documentation you provide helps DSBO verify your firm’s eligibility. Applicants carry the burden of proving to DSBO that they are eligible for certification and meet all of the program requirements. DSBO staff is mandated, by local ordinance and federal law, to ensure that only bona fide small, disadvantaged firms can participate in the small business certification programs.

Before DSBO can make a determination on your application, the certification analyst assigned to your application must visit (virtually or in-person) your firm’s principal place of business and interview the socially and/or economically disadvantaged owner(s). During this visit, the analyst will ask you about your business, your resume, daily operations, and management and control. They may also interview other owners, officers or key personnel. Usually, these visits take approximately 60 minutes to complete.

Applicants have the burden of proving that they are an eligible firm and meet all of the program requirements and must cooperate with DSBO’s requests for additional or clarifying information. The site visit is a mandatory requirement of the application process. Firms that fail to cooperate with DSBO will be denied certification.

Eligible owners must be economically disadvantaged and have a Personal Net Worth (PNW) under the federally determined cap for certification. As part of your application, all individuals whose ownership is necessary for certification, must complete a PNW statement detailing their personal assets and liabilities. While you must report all assets, certain retirement assets as well as equity in your primary residence is not included in your overall PNW.  DSBO has created a PNW Guide to help you through this part of the application process. 

The security of your information is a top priority for the city. All supporting documentation is uploaded and stored securely and confidentially through the Small Business Certification and Contract Management System.  Once your application is submitted, only DSBO certification staff can view your confidential documentation and it is only reviewed to determine your eligibility for certification.

Complete applications are reviewed and analyzed by a Certification Analyst. However, final determinations are made by the certification committee comprised of the analysts, certification supervisor, certification director, and certification specialist. The committee meets weekly to review applications that have been reviewed. How do I know if my application was approved? 

If your business is eligible for certification, you will receive an Approval Letter for each certification program you applied for. This letter is sent to the email on file through the Small Business Certification and Contract Management System and is available through your Vendor Profile.

Additionally, once you are approved, your firm will be listed on the online certification database:

To view and print your certification letter(s):

1. Login and go to your current certifications.
2. At the far right under "Actions," click "view."
3. Scroll down to the Letters Sent and click "view" again. Your letter will show on your screen.
4. Click the printer icon on the top left of your screen. 

Applicants who do not meet the eligibility requirements for certification are notified via a letter, detailing the reasons for the denial, sent to the email on file. If denied, you must wait one (1) calendar year before reapplying.

Some documentation is mandatory for all applicants. If the required documentation is not applicable to your type of business or does not exist, you must upload a written explanation on why the document is not applicable or available in order to complete the application.  

Yes. If your principal place of business is outside of Colorado and you are currently ACDBE or DBE certified in that state, you can apply for ACDBE/DBE certification in Colorado by submitting an Interstate Application. 

DBE certified firms are eligible for opportunities and participation credit on federally funded projects, while  MWBE/SBE certified firms are eligible for participation on locally funded city projects. Having multiple certifications increases your opportunity to participate on different types of projects both through the city and other entities that receives federal funding such as Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), Regional Transportation District (RTD), and others. 

No. You will need to submit an application for the City’s certification programs.  

No. Both CDOT and the City are certifying agencies and are part of the Colorado Unified Certification Program (UCP). Once DBE certified by either agency, all members of the Colorado UCP will recognize your DBE certification for their USDOT funded projects. If you are already certified with CDOT or have an application pending with CDOT and submit a duplicate DBE application with the CIty, DSBO will close your application.  

Your certifications do not expire. However, DSBO reviews all certified firms annually/triennially to ensure they continue to meet the program’s eligibility requirements and firms are required to submit an Annual Update or 3-Year Review through the Small Business Certification and Contract Management System. Firms that do not submit their Annual Update or 3-Year Review face decertification. DSBO sends several reminders, but it is ultimately your responsibility to maintain your certifications.

Your Annual Update must be submitted yearly within 60 days of your certification anniversary date. For example, if your application for certification is approved on April 5, your anniversary date is April 30. Every three years, you must submit a 3-Year Review instead of the Annual Update.

To update your company’s name, address or contact information, you can submit a Change Request through the Small Business Certification and Contract Management System.

If there are changes to your company’s structure, management and control, or ownership that may affect its eligibility for certification, you must notify DSBO by submitting a Material Change Application within 30 days of the change in circumstances. If your 3-Year Review is due, you can report the change and provide the necessary supporting documentation through that application.

DSBO certifies a firm based upon at least 51% ownership by an eligible owner(s). If you sell or otherwise transfer your ownership to a different owner, that owner will need to provide information that they also meet all of the eligibility requirements by submitting a Material Change Application. If you sell your business or it is otherwiseacquired by a non-certified firm, your certifications will be revoked and the non-certified firm will need to apply for certification. 

The local certification directory is contained in the Small Business Certification and Contract Management System database, denver.mwdbe.com. In addition, Colorado publishes this ACDBE/DBE directory.

If you want to add NAICS Codes to a current certification, you can submit a NAICS Expansion Application through the Small Business Certification and Contract Management System. 

When adding NAICS Code(s) please select the best 6-digit NAICS code and Corresponding Index Entries (CIEs) that best describes your firm’s principal goods or services. To find those codes go to https://www.census.gov/naics.

You must also provide supporting documentation such that DSBO can verify your business has operations in, and that the socially and/or economically disadvantaged owner can control, the additional scope of work. Supporting documentation may include:

• A copy of the signed contract with the complete scope of work.
• A list of equipment the firm owns or leases.
• Applicable education, experience, or expertise, including professional or contractor licenses (e.g., master electrician license, electrical contractor license, drywall supervisor/contractor)