Minority-Owned Business Enterprise (MBE) (sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, limited liability company or joint venture)
- Belong to an ethnic minority group: Native American, Black, Hispanic, Asian Indian, Asian Pacific, Aleut, Eskimo, or Native Hawaiian. (The Department does not recognize women as minorities or base eligibility on the gender of an applicant.)
- Be at least 51% owned, controlled, and actively managed by minority group members.
- Serve a "useful business function" and have customers other than the State of Wisconsin.
- Must be at least one (1) year old under current ownership.
Woman-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE) (sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, limited liability company or joint venture)
- Be at least 51% owned, controlled, and actively managed by women group members.
- Is currently performing a "useful business function" in the State of Wisconsin.
- Must be at least one (1) year old under current ownership.
- Provide a $150.00 application fee made payable to the Department of Administration. Mail to: Wisconsin Department of Administration, Wisconsin Supplier Diversity Program, PO Box 7970, Madison, WI 53707.
Disabled Veteran-Owned Business Enterprise (DVB) (sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, limited liability company or joint venture)
- At least 51% majority owner(s) must possess U.S. Department of Defense Form DD214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) to prove service in the Armed Forces.
- Disabled Veteran document from the Department of Veteran Affairs or discharge paper from the branch of armed service, stating service connected disability rating under 38 USC 1114 or 1134 of at least 0%.
- At least 51% owned, controlled, and actively managed by disabled veteran group members.
- At least 51% majority owner(s) must be a resident of Wisconsin and the business has its principal place of business in Wisconsin.
- Serves a "useful business function" and have customers other than the State of Wisconsin.
- Must be at least one (1) year old under current ownership.
- Provide a $150.00 application fee made payable to the Department of Administration. Mail to: Wisconsin Department of Administration, Wisconsin supplier Diversity Program, PO Box 7970, Madison, WI 53707.
Is the business less than a year old?
- Applicants with less than one year majority ownership (51%) will need to overcome the presumption of being ineligible in not meeting the one year ownership documentation requirements. It will be the decision of the Department to determine whether the applicant's evidence meets the burden of proof in overcoming the presumption of ineligibility.
Is the business located out of the State of Wisconsin?
- Out-of-state firms must meet the following standards for certification:
- An out-of-state firm must have equivalent certification from an acceptable and recognizable governmental agency in their home state. Certifications from city and council organizations do not fulfil this requirement.
- A copy of the letter or official document of MBE/WBE certification from a governmental agency in the state which the applicant is incorporated or has its principal place of business. Applicants who do not provide this proof will not be considered for certification. The Minority Business Enterprise and Woman-Owned Business Enterprise Programs reserve the right to grant or deny certification in accordance with these terms.
- Out-of-state MBE applicants or WBE applicants must do the following:
- Submit proof of certification in their home state to: WiSDPWebApplication@wisconsin.gov
- WBE applicants are required to be performing a useful business function at the time of application in the State of Wisconsin. WBE applicants should provide proof of revenue received from a government entity or business located in the state.
- Upon verification and review of proof, applicant will be notified via email to proceed to complete the online MBE/WBE certification application, and upload all required documents.