Certifications for Small and Diverse Suppliers & Contractors
Certification may benefit small and/or diverse businesses. Certifications or completing a verification process is not required for businesses selling goods or providing services to the State of Colorado. However, certification helps the State understand small and diverse business utilization in State procurement.
Please Note: The only business ownership type with preference in State procurement is the Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) certification through the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). Learn more about the State’s SDVOSB contracting goal.
Any business can increase its visibility to State buyers by creating a free listing on the Colorado Supplier Diversity Directory. Business size and ownership can be verified through third-party certifications and other methods. Businesses may qualify to verify as more than one identifier for their directory listing.
The list below contains some certifications we use for verification for HUBZone, small, diverse, and veteran-owned businesses. For questions regarding the eligibility of specific certifications not listed, contact the Colorado Supplier Diversity Navigator.
The Colorado Minority Business Office offers free consultation to help suppliers and contractors determine if certification is right for their business.
Verify as a HUBZone Business
HUBZone businesses have alternate ways to verify without a certification. For more information, visit the Colorado Supplier Diversity Directory webpage.
- Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone), Small Business Administration
Verify as a Small Business
There are alternate ways to verify business size without a certification. For more information, visit the Colorado Supplier Diversity Directory webpage.
- Disadvantaged Business Enterprise, Colorado Department of Transportation
- Emerging Small Business Certification (ESB), Colorado Department of Transportation
- Disadvantaged Business Enterprise, City & County of Denver
- Emerging Business Enterprise (EBE), City & County of Denver
- Small Business Enterprise (SBE), City & County of Denver
- Small Business Enterprise Concessionaire (SBEC), City & County of Denver
Verify as a Diverse-owned Business
- Minority/Women Business Enterprise (M/WBE), City & County of Denver
- Disability-Owned Business Enterprises (DOBE®s), Disability:IN
- LGBT Business Enterprise (LGBTBE), National LGBT Chamber of Commerce
- Minority Business Enterprise Certification (MBE), National Minority Supplier Diversity Council
- Women-Owned Small Business and Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB/EDWOSB)*, Small Business Administration
- Women's Business Enterprise (WBE/WBENC), Women's Business Enterprise National Council
Verify as a Veteran-Owned Business
- Veteran Disability-Owned Business Enterprises (V-DOBE®s), Disability:IN
- Service-Disabled Veteran Disability-Owned Business Enterprises (SDV-DOBE®s), Disability:IN
- Veteran-owned Business and Service Disabled Veteran-owned Business (VOB/SDVOB), National Veteran Business Development Council
- Veteran-owned Small Business and Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (VOSB/SDVOSB)*, Small Business Administration
Colorado Supplier Diversity Navigator
Connecting small and diverse businesses with the resources to be successful in State contracts and procurement.
Services Provided
- Verification of HUBZone, small, diverse and veteran-owned businesses for the Colorado Supplier Diversity Directory
- Assistance with responding to solicitations for State contracts*
- Availability of opportunities
- Interpretation of solicitation documents
- Solicitation response procedures and best practices
- Bond assistance
Contact Us
Form: Complete our Request for Assistance Form
Email: DPA_SupplierDiversityHelp@state.co.us
Phone: 303-866-5765
*Assistance does not imply guidance that will give a respondent an unfair advantage when answering a solicitation.