About WBE Contracts

WBE (Women’s Business Enterprise) is a designation specifically for firms whose majority owner is female.

This certification is achieved by complying with a laundry list of requirements. Once achieved, approved and certified, a WBE is authorized to be utilized by organizations, corporations, municipalities and institutions which have procurement initiatives and goals. The program is geared toward the spirit of helping small minority-owned businesses to succeed in the business world which was historically controlled by majority corporations.

A Municipality, Institution, Organization or Corporation may put together a program with guidelines that indicate their procurement goals to include Women-Owned (WBE) and Minority-Owned (MBE) Business Enterprises. Each organization will have their own parameters and requirements for their ordinance or policy. These guidelines might include:

  • Target goals for purchases from M/WBE purchases at a level of 5-50% of total purchases or expenditures.
  • Provide specs and take extra steps to make matches for subcontracting opportunities with current prime vendors.
  • Execute an aggressive program to include incremental W/MBE growth over a period of years.
  • An accountability program to monitor progress and ensure success of the program.

What are the benefits of a WBE/MBE program?