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Give your customers confidence that they’re buying from a legitimate woman-owned business. Becoming certified as a Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) and/or Minority Women’s Business Enterprise (MWBE) does that, and while the word “certification” often elicits images of piles of paperwork and red tape, that’s not always the case, especially with NAWBO by your side. Through our program, we will walk you step-by-step through the process to certification. Once certified, we’ll continue to guide and educate you on how to harness the power of your certification, and network with businesses to grow your company. Yes, certification takes work and organization to prepare, but the payoff is well worth the effort. The future of certification starts here…let NAWBO help you grow! 

Testimonials

“Having just gone through the NAWBO certification process, I would like to give a thumbs-up to NAWBO for having streamlined the process appropriately. NAWBO representatives are available  to help you with the document submission every step of the way. NAWBO certification provides validity to me and my business with a strong message that I stand for women empowerment.”

—Nan McKay, Owner, Nan McKay Connects LLC

 

“The online portal for NAWBO certification was very convenient. The few times I had difficulty, the staff worked with me and quickly and easily answered my questions. It seems overwhelming to start but most of what you need are things we have at hand for business anyhow! Very excited to see what doors open with the certification and excited to partner with other women in this business journey!”

—Tammy Hey, FNP-C, Revive Skin Clinic of Maine

Videos

Certification Details

What will the Certification process be?

How long will the Certification process likely take from start to finish?

Our goal is to complete the evaluation process within 60 days from the time all required paperwork has been submitted by the company.

Is there a fee for Certification?

Yes, the fee structure for NAWBO Certification is based on membership status, business size and certification type, and is as follows:

New Signup (1 year)

Renewal (1 year)

Member

Non-Member

Member

Non-Member

WBE/MWBE Certification (Under $1 Million)

$350.00

$750.00

$200.00

$600.00

WBE/MWBE Certification (Over $1 Million)

$500.00

$900.00

$350.00

$750.00

Additional WBE/MWBE Certification (Under $1 Million)

$200.00

$600.00

$200.00

$600.00

Additional WBE/MWBE Certification (Over $1 Million)

$350.00

$750.00

$350.00

$750.00

Including $150 One-Time Non-Refundable Application Fee

$150.00

$150 Application Fee Waived for Additional Applications

$ 0.00   

New Signup (2 years)

Renewal (2 years)

Member

Non-Member

Member

Non-Member

WBE/MWBE Certification (Under $1 Million)

$550.00

$1,350.00

$400.00

$1,200.00

WBE/MWBE Certification (Over $1 Million)

$850.00

$1,650.00

$700.00

$1,500.00

Additional WBE/MWBE Certification (Under $1 Million)

$400.00

$1,200.00

$400.00

$1,200.00

Additional WBE/MWBE Certification (Over $1 Million)

$700.00

$1,500.00

$700.00

$1,500.00

Including $150 One-Time Non-Refundable Application Fee

$150.00

$150 Application Fee Waived for Additional Applications

$ 0.00  

NOTE: Applicants will have 3 business days following their date of registration to cancel their registration and receive a full refund; after the 3 business days, they will be subject to a nonrefundable application fee of $150. Also, note that that this one application fee applies to multiple businesses owned and operated by the same woman business owner.

Are there minimum requirements?

WBE/MWBE Certification Requirements:

  • At least 51% unconditionally and directly owned by women who are U.S. citizens
  • The woman must manage the day-to-day operations
  • The woman must make the long-term decisions for the business
  • The woman must hold the highest officer position in the company
  • This woman must work at business full-time during normal working hours
  • The business must be operational for 2 years or more
Who will approve the Certification?

We will have examiners complete the review of required paperwork, interviews, and site review (virtually). Once completed and the WBE/MWBE qualifies and meets the requirements, the candidate is approved and a certificate will be issued.

Will there be a virtual interview and/or in-person interview for the applicant?

Interviews will be conducted virtually on camera.

Is NAWBO certifying on a national level or a state level?

NAWBO certification will be a national certification.

What kind of organizations will recognize NAWBO Certification?

NAWBO certification exceeds the integrity and verification of the WBE and/or MWBE requirements as stated by the SBA. We are not currently a 3rd party certifier for the SBA.

Will there be matchmaking?

We hope to integrate matchmaking for women who are certified as part of national in-person events in the future. Meanwhile, we are focused on providing education and support so that our certified women can use it as a tool to scale their business.

Would a business offering services benefit from this Certification?

Yes, any company who wants to sell their service or products to large corporations would benefit from this certification.

I'm already certified. Does or will NAWBO have information on how to leverage Certification?

NAWBO Certification offers some exclusive opportunities to our community of certified women to help them use it as a tool to scale. However, we make our webinar recordings available following the live events and welcome all women to take part in educational programming related to certification at national in-person events.

Will NAWBO have a support group or mentoring program for certified businesses?

Yes, NAWBO’s focus is to assist certified businesses in leveraging and utilizing their certification in order to grow their business. We currently do this through office hours, educational webinars and in-person event programming, and hope to introduce even more avenues of support in the future.

Will there be annual Recertification?

Yes, WBE/MWBE participants are required to recertify each year to verify no changes have occurred affecting the certification of the business.

Certification Resources

Certification FAQs

Find answers to frequently asked questions about getting certified.

Application Checklist

View and download a checklist of application requirements for certification.

Certification Application Guide Video

Watch a step-by-step guide that explains how to apply for certification.

The Power of Certification Video

Get inspired by WBO’s and learn how they used their certification.

Meet the Team

Kimberly Snodgrass

Kimberly Snodgrass

NAWBO Institute Certification Manager

“It is such a unique opportunity to be part of the team supporting the NAWBO Institute Certification program and I am extremely grateful,” she says. “Helping to elevate women-owned businesses and assisting them in acquiring the WBE/MWBE certification is a step toward more inclusion and opportunity.”

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