Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE)
Also called: DBE, DBE certification, ACDBE, UCP certification
A Disadvantaged Business Enterprise is a small firm owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, certified by a state Unified Certification Program for use on federally funded transportation projects.
The program is 49 CFR Part 26, run by the US Department of Transportation but administered state by state through a Unified Certification Program, usually the state DOT or transit agency. DBE status matters on highway, transit and airport contracts that carry federal money, where prime contractors must meet or show good faith efforts toward a DBE participation goal. The airport concessions version is ACDBE under 49 CFR Part 23.
What to check: the certifying agency in your state, the personal net worth cap in 49 CFR 26.67, the business size cap in 49 CFR 26.65, and the requirement that the disadvantaged owner controls the firm. Certification in one state is usually recognized by others through interstate certification under 49 CFR 26.85, but ask.
What it is not: a federal contracting certification. DBE does not apply to SAM.gov set-asides; the federal equivalents are 8(a) and the SBA programs.
See also: MBE and WBE certification, 8(a) Business Development Program, Prime contractor, Subcontracting plan
Questions that use this term
Search allYes, a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) certification is different from a state MBE and WBE certification because DBE certification is a...