Give Your Minority-Owned Small Business An Edge Through The USDOT Certification Program

(May 2020) - If your small business is minority-owned, you may consider taking advantage of various programs dedicated to increasing your opportunities of being successful in this competitive marketplace. Becoming formally certified as a minority-owned business by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) may give you an edge in marketing your business to potential customers and even reduce your competition for public contracts. Why should you apply? Would your business qualify? What's the process for becoming certified? Here's the scoop...

The certification program offered by the USDOT is one of several business enterprise programs available to minority-owned businesses and is illustrative of the requirements and process. As set forth in 49 C.F.R. § 26.1, an objective of the USDOT's Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program is "[t]o ensure nondiscrimination in the award and administration of DOT-assisted contracts in the [USDOT's] highway, transit,