According to the United States Census Bureau, as of 2022 just 22% of employer firms were majority-owned by women, despite women comprising more than half of the total population. Women business owners of all kinds contribute as much as $2.1 trillion in sales per year. Still, having fewer fellow women business owners can make it difficult to build a supportive network, and gender-based discrimination can be an obstacle to funding and growth.
That said, women-owned businesses can benefit from unique opportunities, from the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council to your local government, but to access these opportunities it can be useful to get an official woman-owned business certification. Here’s your guide to getting certified as a woman-owned business, nationally and wherever you’re based.
What you need to know
- A woman-owned business is a for-profit U.S. company that’s majority-owned by women.
- Getting certified with the WBENC and SBA opens up federal and state contracts, financial assistance, networking events, and official “woman-owned” branding materials for your business.
- Apply for certification through the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, the Small Business Administration, and your local government(s) to access all the resources available to WBEs.
What counts as a woman-owned business?
According to the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), a Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) is a United States–based business that’s “at least 51 percent owned, controlled, operated, and managed by a woman or women.”
If your business meets this criterion, you can register as a women-owned business through Women Owned, an initiative provided by the WBENC in collaboration with WEConnect international. These are two nonprofit organizations devoted to women’s business development and opportunity nationally and internationally, respectfully.
Meeting the criterion of being at least 51% women-owned also qualifies you for registering with the SBA’s 8(a) program or local government programs.
4 benefits of becoming a certified as a woman-owned business
Getting certified as a woman-owned business can open the door to lots of exclusive opportunities. Here are a few of the ways this certification can help your business grow.
1. Access corporate and government contracts
Each year, as part of its Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contracting program, the U.S. federal government reserves 5% of its contracts for women-owned businesses. You can improve your ability to win these contracts by registering with the Small Business Administration’s Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contract and 8(a) Business Development programs.
Depending on where you live, there may be state or city government contract targets (such as New York City’s Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises Program), as well as free grants from private companies and tax credits available exclusively to women-owned businesses. In addition, many corporations have women-owned supplier programs, which they can source from the WBENC database of certified businesses.
2. Access educational resources, development programs, and networking events
The WBENC offers a broad suite of advancement programs. These include education for entrepreneurs and executives, pitching opportunities, scholarships to attend business programs, and unique programs for different industries, Millennial and Gen Z entrepreneurs, or LGBTQ business owners.
In addition, WBENC hosts exclusive events, conferences, and contracting opportunities for you to build your network of fellow women business owners and business partnerships. As you scale, you’ll have access to guidance resources for entering new markets.
3. Increase your brand visibility and credibility
Both customers and vendors consider diversity when making spending decisions, and WBENC certification allows you to use their official logo and branding materials in your marketing. This certification is a signal that your business has been independently verified as women-owned. Because the WBENC is nationally recognized, certification can also help you to expand beyond your local market to receive new grants and reach new customers.
4. Support the women-owned business community
The WBENC’s mission is to advocate for women business owners, provide resources for their development, and influence state and federal policy to their benefit. As the community of women business owners grows, the WBENC can point their own numbers as indicative of the influence of women-owned businesses, and certification provides you with a network of fellow women business owners to collaborate and grow with.
What’s the process of getting certified as a woman-owned business?
There are three different organizations who can certify you as a woman-owned business. The most impactful certification is received through the WBENC’s Woman Owned program, but the Small Business Administration (SBA) and your local government(s) may also have important opportunities available to you.
Getting certified through the WBENC
To obtain your WBE certification from the WBENC, follow these five steps:
- Collect all your required documentation. The WBENC’s vetting process is thorough and requires documents concerning your business, financial structure, personnel, management, and operations. Click here to see the complete list of required documentation.
- Sign in to WBENCLink2.0, register, and fill out the application. You’ll be required to pay a non-refundable processing fee, based on your annual gross revenue as reported on your business taxes:
- Under $1 million: $350
- $1M–$5M: $500
- $5M–$10M: $750
- $10M–$50M: $1,000
- $50M+: $1,250
- A Certification Committee from your nearest local chapter (known as Regional Partner Organizations) will carefully review your documentation and reach out to schedule a site visit interview.
- Each committee is made up of trained volunteers from certified WBEs and other organizations.
- Your application review takes approximately 90 days from the date you submit all your required documents.
- Following your site visit and application review, your Regional Partner Organization will reach out via email and letter to let you know if you’ve been approved.
For more information about the WBENC and their Woman Owned program, visit the organization’s website at www.wbenc.org.
Getting certified through the Small Business Administration
As of January 2025, the Small Business Administration has standardized language around women-owned businesses across its programs and streamlined the registration process, making it easier for you to apply.
Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contract program
The Small Business Administration offers two programs specific to WBEs. The first is the Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contract program, which will help you gain access to federal contracts reserved for woman-owned businesses. Because the WBENC is an approved third-party certifier for this program, getting certified through the WBENC will qualify you, as long as each owner of your company has a personal net worth less than $850,000, earned $400,000 or less in adjusted gross income over the last three years, and owns $6.5 million or less in personal assets.
If you’re not certified by the WBENC, you can use an 8(a) certification to apply for the Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contract program.
8(a) Business Development program
The second SBA program that can benefit your woman-owned business is the 8(a) Business Development program. By registering, you’ll receive additional support when trying to secure federal contracts, loans, business mentors, and executive training. You can fill out a preliminary questionnaire to see whether you’ll qualify and benefit on the MySBA Certifications website. You must meet the following criteria to qualify:
- This is your first time registering with the 8(a) program
- You’ve been in business for at least two years
- Your personal net worth is less than $850,000
- Your adjusted gross income is less than $400,000
- Your assets total less than $6.5 million
To get your 8(a) certification with the SBA, follow these steps:
- Register with the SBA.
- Identify your NAICS code(s), based on your business size.
- Register your business in the U.S. government’s System for Award Management (SAM).
- Fill out the online 8(a) application. You’ll need most of the same documents as you used for the WBENC application.
Your application may take up to 90 days to process. If you’re approved, you’ll have up to nine years to benefit from the 8(a) program from the approval date. You can maintain your 8(a) WBE certification by staying within the requirements of minority-ownership and business activity.
Getting certified through your state or city
Most states offer grants and contracts to women-owned businesses, but don’t have their own certification process—instead, these governments accept certifications from the WBENC or SBA. Some city governments have programs to further support these businesses, such as New York City’s Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (M/WBE) Program, which allows businesses to be listed on a public directory of certified MBEs.
To start, go to your state and city government websites, or web search for any local grants, programs, or contracting targets.
How to get certified as a minority woman-owned business
There isn’t one certification for being both minority- and woman-owned, but you can apply for a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) certification (in addition to your WBE) via these entities:
- National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC)
- Small Business Administration
- State or city programs
In addition, the WBENC offers several programs for women of color, including the women of color outreach and development program, women of color incubator, and latina growth accelerator.
How to get certified as an LGBTQ woman-owned business
Just as with minority woman-owned businesses, there isn’t one certification for being both LGBTQ-owned and woman-owned. If you’re a woman-owned LGBT Business Enterprise (LGBTBE), you can apply for certification (in addition to your WBE) via these entities:
- National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC)
- Small Business Administration
- State or city programs
In addition, the WBENC offers a Women & Pride outreach and development program for LGBTQ women business owners.
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