As a result of the federal government’s clear directives against Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion that put the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (“DBE”), 8(a) Business Development Program, Woman-Owned Small Business (“WOSB”), and Veteran-Owned Small Business (“VOSB”) at peril, this is the second in a series of blogs that will discuss alternative, non-federal government certifications available to businesses.
Disability:IN provides three different certifications:
- Disability-Owned Business Enterprise (“DOBE”) is a business that is at least 51% owned, controlled, operated, and managed by one or more persons with a disability.
- Veteran Disability-Owned Business Enterprise (“V-DOBE”) is a business which is at least 51% owned, controlled, operated, and managed by a veteran with a disability, but the disability was not incurred during their time of service.
- Service-Disabled Veteran Disability-Owned Business Enterprise (“SDV-DOBE”) is a business which is at least 51% owned, controlled, operated, and managed by a veteran who sustained a disability during their time of service.
In order for a business to qualify for this certification, the applicant owner must have a physical and/or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. Disability:IN provides this list of disabilities to assist applicants.
Other requirements are:
- The individual with the disability must own at least 51% of the business and make the day-to-day business decisions for the company.
- The business must be independent and not substantially rely on another business to operate.
- The business must submit extensive documentation for confidential review during the application and interview process.
If your company is already certified as a woman-owned business through WBENC and/or an LGBTQ-owned business by NGLCC, you are eligible for an accelerated certification process for the Disability:IN certifications. If you are not certified by one of those organizations but are in a rush, there is also an opportunity to pay a higher fee for your application to be expedited.
Disability:IN offers a more detailed explanation of its certification procedures in its Supplier Inclusion Standards and Procedures that can be found here. A list of their corporate partners can be found here.
If you need assistance applying for a business certification, please contact Danielle Dietrich, Esq. at ddietrich@potomaclaw.com or 412-449-9141.
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