DBE Certification
Over $37 billion in Federal affirmative-investing for disadvantaged firms
Our DBE Certification Specialists are standing ready to register your small business and enable you to capitalize on the socially disadvantaged opportunities within the Federal Sector.
DBE Small Business Qualifications
To successfully register for DBE small business status, a business must meet all the following qualification criteria:
- Qualifies for Small Business Status
- Over 51% owned & controlled by economically or socially disadvantaged U.S. citizens
- The disadvantaged owner(s) must be U.S. citizens
- Financial Requirements must be:
- Gross annual business revenues under 30 million
- Owners personal net worth is $1.3 million or less
If you believe your small business meets the DBE certification qualifications, don’t wait and miss out on the federal opportunities you deserve. Speak with our DBE Certification Consultants to get started today.
DBE Government Certification Benefits
Since its creation in the 1980s, the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program has been a cornerstone of federal efforts to promote economic equity by helping socially and economically disadvantaged small business owners compete for work in the transportation sector.
Today, at least 10% of federally funded transportation contracts—from highway construction to airport expansion—are reserved exclusively for DBE-certified businesses. That amounts to billions of dollars in contract opportunities each year, set aside by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and its funding partners.
In recent years, DOT agencies have struggled to find enough certified DBEs to fulfill their 10% spending requirement. That means a large portion of contracts go unclaimed—or default back to non-DBE firms simply because not enough qualified businesses are certified.
- Prime & Subcontractor Access – DBEs can bid as prime contractors or team up as subcontractors on large-scale projects, helping them scale up without being shut out.
- Strong Networking & Mentorship Support
– DBEs gain access to state DOT support services, including mentorship programs, bid assistance, and business development resources. - State & Local Contracting Opportunities
– Once DBE-certified, your business is listed in a statewide directory used by all transportation-related public agencies—giving you visibility to local governments, airport authorities, and transit systems.
FAMR helps hundreds of businesses gain federal certifications every year
DBE Certification Services vs. DIY
To access DBE small business opportunities, organizations first need to complete a detailed registration process with the federal government, where the difference between certification approvals and denials often come down to the tiniest filing errors.
The entire 8(A) registration and certification processes take between roughly 70 – 80 hours of clerical labor to complete, and that’s not including the follow-up work of renewals, supplying business updates, and more.
FAMR – Let Us Register Your DBE Small Business
The value in working with a certification service like FAMR is that we streamline and simplify the 8(A) certification process. To begin, we’ll ask you to send over some general information to get started and speak with you about what you can expect from your business’ registration process.
Then We’ll Take Over for You
Our DBE Certification Consultants handle the paperwork, documentation, and detailed requirements for you—using their experience to ensure every part of your application is accurate, compliant, and submission-ready. While we take care of the legwork, we’ll also keep you in the loop with regular updates, so you always know where things stand.
Once your DBE certification is approved, we’ll continue to support your business by assisting with annual renewals, state-specific reporting requirements, and making sure your certification stays active, compliant, and optimized for transportation-related contracting opportunities.
Benefits of Working with FAMR vs. DIY
- Stress-Free Certification – We make the process faster, easier, and more accurate than managing it on your own—so you can stay focused on running your business.
- Partners you can Rely On – Our DBE Certification Consultants are a passionate and dedicated team specializing in registering qualified businesses to work alongside the federal government. We’ve helped businesses across a variety of industries achieve certification status and are more than happy to walk you through every step of your DBE certification process to assure your confidence.
(855) 718-1264
DIY – DBE Self Certification
DIY – DBE Self Certification
Minority and disadvantaged small business owners who want to take the time to file for themselves by learning how to navigate this lengthy application process.
But remember, the federal government requires a lot of information to certify your business and it all needs to be submitted without error.
Otherwise, if registration is not completed perfectly the first time around, minority and disadvantaged small business owners will likely find themselves needing to embark through the full certification process again under even harsher filing guidelines. What’s worse, if DBE small businesses do still get approved despite some inaccuracies when filing, that faulty information can go on to create payment problems and severely impede an organization’s ability to win future contracts.
Challenges of DBE Self Certification
- Dozens of Registration Hours – Registering DBE Small Business status with the federal government is an in-depth process that takes dedicated time, patience, and close attention to detail.
- DIY Registration – The self-registration process can be completed by those who learn the ins-and-outs of how to file their 8(A) information without error.