Business Certifications

Small and diverse suppliers and contractors may benefit from certification. It is not required to be certified to sell goods or provide services to the State of Colorado, however, the State encourages proper certification in support of allowing the State to accurately capture the small and diverse suppliers and contractor information the State of Colorado utilizes. The Colorado Minority Business Office offers free consultation to help suppliers and contractors determine if certification is appropriate for them.

The list below contains different types of certifications available based on business size and ownership.

Small Businesses

• Emerging Small Business Certification (ESB)

Woman-owned Businesses

• 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

Minority-owned Businesses

• (Economic and Social) Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE)
• Minority Business Enterprise Certification (MBE), National Minority Supplier Diversity Council
• 8(a) Business Development Program, Small Business Administration
• Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone), Small Business Administration
• Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB), Small Business Administration

Veteran-owned Businesses

• Veteran-owned Small Business and Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (VOSB/SDVOSB), Small Business Administration
• Veteran Disability-Owned Business Enterprises (V-DOBE®s) and Service-Disabled Veteran Disability-Owned Business Enterprises (SDV-DOBE®s), Disability:IN
• National Veterans Business Development Council (NVBDC)

Businesses Owned by Members of the Disability Community

• Disability-Owned Business Enterprises (DOBE®s), Disability:IN

Businesses Owned by Members of the LGBTQ+ Community

• LGBT Business Enterprise (LGBTE), National LGBT Chamber of Commerce

State of Colorado

Only the Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) certification through the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is recognized in State procurement as having a preference in procurement.  

Bridge and Highway Construction (Colorado Department of Transportation, CDOT) 

CDOT offers Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) and Emerging Small Business (ESB) certifications.

Cities, Counties, Local Government, Special Districts

Check with local entities to learn more about certifications they may recognize.

• City & County of Denver
• Regional Transportation District 

Federal Certifications

Certifications for small and diverse businesses are administered by the Small Business Administration, (SBA). Colorado APEX Accelerators (formerly PTAC) offer no-cost confidential consulting, bid matching and education opportunities and can assist suppliers wanting to sell to the Federal government.