The Supplier Diversity Office certifies companies as Massachusetts Minority Business Enterprises (MBE), Women Business Enterprises (WBE), Veteran Business Enterprises (VBE), and Portuguese Business Enterprises (PBE).
Business owners of companies with a principal place of business in Massachusetts must attend a mandatory, two-hour pre-certification workshop before applying for certification. The certification application and instructions to create an SDO portal account will be provided via email within 1-2 days after the workshop.
The pre-certification workshop provides an overview of the State certification criteria and process, the SDO portal platform and the required documents that must be submitted when applying for certification. The workshop also provides a brief introduction to COMMBUYS (the Commonwealth's procurement platform where bidding opportunities occur), the Small Business Purchasing Program, and the Supplier Diversity Program.
Please note that the certification process may take between (30- 60) days following the submission of a completed application.
During the certification process, the SDO investigates applicant companies to make sure they meet applicable legal requirements. Under state regulations as defined in 425 CMR 2.00, the applicant firm must prove it is at least 51% owned and dominantly controlled by adult minority, women, Portuguese, or veteran principals who are U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents. Firms also must be ongoing and independent. For more information, download the SDO certification regulations.
