The City of Austin's Small & Minority Business Resources Department certifies qualified firms as Minority-Owned Business Enterprises (MBE), Women-Owned Business Enterprises (WBE), Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE), Airport Concession Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE), and Small Business Enterprises (SBE).
The Certification Division verifies that the minority and/or woman business applicant owns, manages, and controls the day-to-day operations of the for-profit business in compliance with the MBE/WBE Procurement Program Ordinance, Chapter(s) 2-9 (A)(B)(C) and (D) of the City Code.
General Eligibility Requirements
- At least 51% of the company must be owned, managed, and controlled by a socially and economically disadvantaged individual from one of the presumed groups i.e. Asian-American, African-American, Native American, Hispanic or Women
- A small business as defined by the Small Business Administration's (SBA) Size Standard Guidelines
- Personal Net Worth (PNW) must not exceed $1,583,000 for MBE/WBE certification or $1,320,000 for DBE/ACDBE certification
- MBE/WBE applicant must have a facility located within the State of Texas for at least 90 days
- Must be a for-profit business
New Registration - Before You Begin
- Register your company as a vendor on Austin Finance Online.
- If you have questions or need password assistance, call (512) 974-2018 or email vendorreg@austintexas.gov
- Upload, fax or email the current version of your company's W-9 form to finalize your registration
- Keep a copy of your Vendor Registration Number, you will need it for the Certification process.
Get Certified - Apply Online
- Apply HERE (https://austintexas.mwdbe.com) for Certification.
- Getting Started Guide for new firms (not yet certified) - click here to download copy.
- Certification & Compliance Getting Started Guide (for certified firms) - click here to download copy.
Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) Certification
Interested in HUB Certification with the State of Texas? Please let the Certification counselors know. We will be happy to review your Minority and/or Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MBE/WBE) application and make a recommendation to the State. If approved, the State will contact you.
For more information on the HUB program, please click here.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about Certification, please call (512) 974-7645 or email SMBRCertification@austintexas.gov