Certification
Women, Minority, LGBT, and Disabled Veteran-Owned Business Enterprise Certification
Join our supplier diversity program! The Equality Business Alliance is proud to partner with the Diversity Supplier Alliance and the California Public Utilities Commission to offer Women, minority, LGBT, and disabled veteran-owned business enterprises; workshops, information and free certification as a California disadvantaged business enterprise.
Firm may be eligible to become WBE, MBE, DVBE, and LGBTBE and participate in a wide range of business opportunities, including having an equitable hand in competing for contracts.
Certification of your Women, Minority, Service Disabled Veteran, or LGBT-owned business enterprise status provides promotion and visibility to the CPUC and 16 major utility companies.
Certification benefits include:
- Official identification as an eligible, certified supplier in a California centralized supplier database, and/or NGLCC database,
- Inclusion in pertinent marketing and bid announcement events,
- Faster contracting processes,
- Access to exclusive contracts,
- Opportunities to build relationships with national corporations, the federal government, state, and local agencies.
In California alone - participating public utilities are able to actively select firms from the Certified Suppliers List in order to meet procurement goals established by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)-issued General Order 156 (GO 156):
- 15% goal for minority-owned businesses
- 5% goal for woman-owned businesses
- 1.5% goal for service-disabled veteran-owned businesses
- No goals have been set for LGBTBE firms.
Utility companies use this database to help meet the require procurement goals listed above.
Contact the Supplier Clearing House or Diversity Supplier Alliance get your business enterprise certified today!
Get Certified as an LGBT Business Enterprise® through the
National LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce
The LGBTBE Certification Program: Once you obtain LGBTBE Certification, you’ll find a new wealth of business opportunities with over 140 National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) corporate partners, all of whom have expressed their commitment to the LGBT community through their diverse supplier programs. The LGBTBE certification allows your voice to be heard and represented on a national and international level. Furthermore, through the NGLCC Supplier Diversity Initiative (SDI) your LGBTBE business information is entered into the LGBT supplier database in order that corporations seeking to diversify their supply chain can contact you.
Get Certified as an LGBT Business Enterprise®
If your business is:
- Majority (at least 51%) owned, operated, managed, and controlled by an LGBT person(s) who are either U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents
- Exercises independence from any non-LGBT business enterprise
- Has its principal place of business (headquarters) in the United States
- Has been formed as a legal entity in the United States
…you are eligible for certification as an LGBT Business Enterprise (LGBTBE®).
Why Should You Get Certified?
Your LGBTBE Certification gives you access to hundreds of corporate and government agencies that want to do business with you! The National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, is the exclusive, third-party certification body for LGBT Business Enterprise® (LGBTBE®) designation as part of its LGBT Supplier Diversity Initiative. By becoming a certified LGBTBE, business are able to build relationships with America’s leading corporations, generate prospective business and clients, and collectively team with each other for contracting opportunities. As corporate America becomes more inclusive and further diversifies its supply chain, certification offers the opportunity for LGBT-owned businesses to differentiate themselves from their competitors. Once you are certified, your business benefits from a full menu of NGLCC benefits, including discounted rates to its annual National Business and Leadership Conference, where you will have the opportunity to connect with scores of corporate and government agency supplier diversity and purchasing professionals as well as other LGBTBEs.
For more information about LGBTBE® certification and how it can benefit your business, visit NGLCC's website.