District of Columbia Certified Business Enterprise (CBE)
A local-business certification with additional categories, including Small Business Enterprise. [District of Columbia CBE guidance]
District of Columbia Department of Small and Local Business Development. District of Columbia program. Official program information
Sources reviewed .
Who qualifies
Businesses meeting the District’s Local Business Enterprise requirements before applying for additional CBE categories. [District of Columbia CBE guidance]
- Maintain a principal office in the District, with the chief executive and highest-level managers performing their managerial functions there. [District of Columbia CBE guidance]
- Meet one local-share test: more than 50% of employees, owners, non-bank assets or gross receipts must meet the District-location requirement. The business must also meet one of DSLBD’s ownership/independence tests. [District of Columbia CBE guidance]
Cost
A certification fee is not stated in the official sources reviewed. Ask the agency before applying. [District of Columbia CBE guidance]
Processing time
A typical processing time is not stated in the official sources reviewed. [District of Columbia CBE guidance]
What it unlocks
- Preferences in District procurement and access to the CBE contracting program. [District of Columbia CBE guidance]
How to apply
- Use DSLBD’s certification wizard to check qualifying categories. [District of Columbia CBE guidance] Use the certification guidance.
- Complete the online CBE application and provide the supporting documents listed by DSLBD. [District of Columbia CBE guidance] Start the CBE application.