WBENC Certification Can Be the Secret Weapon that Takes Your Woman-Owned Business to the Next Level
Table of Contents.
What are the benefits of being a certified woman-owned business? and What is a women-owned business certification worth?
How do I qualify as a woman-owned business? and What are the WBENC certification criteria for acceptance?
Plus - Corporations and organizations that actively support women business owners.
There are 13 million women-owned businesses in the United States. They employ 9.4 million workers and generate a total revenue of approximately $1.9 billion. While those numbers demonstrate a great accomplishment, there are still opportunities for significant growth across all women-owned businesses.
Did you know that:
Sixty percent of North American corporations and organizations across all industries have a supplier diversity program focused on building relationships with and hiring diverse contractors and suppliers like women-owned businesses. Companies with supplier diversity programs include Apple, Bath & Body Works, CitiGroup, Delta Airlines, Exxon Mobil, Hershey, and many more.
US government agencies are committed to contracting 5% of their supplier contract funds specifically with women-owned businesses.
But there is also a significant hurdle to overcome. Many companies that champion supplier diversity won’t even start a conversation with you unless your business is certified as woman owned. Meaning you must be a WBENC-certified woman-owned business.
WBENC: What does it stand for?
WBENC is an acronym for Women’s Business Enterprise National Council.
What is WBENC?
WBENC (Women’s Business Enterprise National Council) is a national non-profit organization founded in 1997 and headquartered in Washington, DC. The organization was established as an active supporter of women-owned businesses and developed what has become the standard for women-owned business certification across the United States. All companies and organizations with supplier diversity programs recognize WBENC certification.
As a result, it is the largest independent certifier of women-owned businesses in the US. The organization delivers this certification through an agreement with 14 partners across the country who certify women-owned businesses locally and regionally.
These partners include regional WBENC offices and independent organizations that also support women’s business ownership by providing programs, resources, education, and networking to women in their area. They help women who are interested in:
starting a business
growing their existing business
expanding their business overseas
The map below represents the 14 regional organizations that WBENC works with to administer its women-owned business certification.
Regional organizations that administer WBENC certification.
DMV
Administered by the Women’s Business Enterprise Council Greater DMV (WBEC Greater DMV).
Territory encompasses: District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia
East
Administered by Greater Women’s Business Enterprise Center East (WBEC East).
Territory encompasses: Delaware, Southern New Jersey, and Pennsylvania
Florida
Administered by Women’s Business Enterprise Council Florida (WBEC Florida).
Territory encompasses: Florida (except the Panhandle)
Great Lakes
Administered by the Great Lakes Women’s Business Council (GLWBC).
Territory encompasses: Indiana and Michigan
Midwest
Administered by the Women’s Business Development Center Midwest (WBDC).
Territory encompasses: Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North and South Dakota, and Wisconsin
New England
Administered by the Center for Women & Enterprise (CWE).
Territory encompasses: Northern Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont
New York (Metro)
Administered by the Women’s Business Enterprise Council Metro New York (WBEC Metro NY).
Territory encompasses: Southern Connecticut, Northern New Jersey, and New York State
Ohio River Valley
Administered by Women’s Business Enterprise Council Ohio River Valley (WBEC ORV).
Territory encompasses: Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia
Pacific
Administered by Women’s Business Enterprise Council Pacific (WBEC Pacific).
Territory encompasses: Alaska, Northern California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington
South
Administered by Women’s Business Enterprise Council South (WBEC South).
Territory encompasses: Alabama, Florida Panhandle, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee
Southeast
Administered by Greater Women’s Business Council (GWBC).
Territory encompasses: Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina
Southwest
Administered by Women’s Business Council Southwest (WBCS).
Territory encompasses: Arkansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and North and Central Texas
Texas (South)
Administered by the Women’s Business Enterprise Alliance (WBEA).
Territory encompasses: South Texas
West
Administered by Women’s Business Enterprise Council West (WBEC West).
Territory encompasses: Arizona, Southern California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, and Guam
WBENC certification: What is it?
WBENC certification is not only the most well-known national certification but also the most well-respected certification for women business owners to get.
However, it is essential to note that WBENC is a certification that helps women-owned businesses compete in the private sector. That is, it gives these businesses additional opportunities in the corporate bidding process where they attempt to secure corporate contracts or become a corporation’s vendor of choice.
Once certification is complete, these women-owned businesses also have access to an extensive community that provides insight and education. Some topics include rapid growth through business development programs; increased capacity across technology, people, and processes; and c-suite guidance.
In comparison, WOSB certification (Woman Owned Small Business certification) is part of the Small Business Administration’s Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contracting Program. It is separate from WBENC certification and should be secured if you want federal government contracts. I'll talk a bit more about that in a minute.
What are the benefits of being a certified woman-owned business? What is a women-owned business certification worth?
A WBENC certification can provide many business benefits, including increased revenue and faster business growth. It also offers advantages to the company’s owner or controlling partner.
A certification is a valuable tool in your business development toolbox. It can increase your business's visibility with well-known US companies actively looking to support women-owned businesses. It also gives you a competitive advantage over those companies that are not officially certified.
Women business owners appreciate the value that certification delivers. Benefits of certification for women-owned businesses also include:
Access to a vast national database of hundreds of the country’s leading corporations with active, in-house supplier diversity programs, keen to do business with WBENC-certified businesses.
Join formal and informal live and in-person regional and national networking events, conferences, and expos between certified businesses and these corporations, as well as between certified women-owned businesses.
Access to exclusive programs, education, and resources that will help take your business and executive leadership skills to the next level. These resources are available across all industries and support every stage of your entrepreneurial journey.
Utilize the WBENC certification logo to expand your business visibility since being a WBENC-certified business is respected and influential across all industries. Promote your business across regional and national events, sponsorships, and online activities; submit your business for regional and national awards; participate in women’s leadership committees; and speak about your expertise and business at WBENC events.
Meet with corporate mentors and counselors and join workshops to receive counseling on business processes and operational topics.
WBENC certification is a channel to new business opportunities and strategic relationship building.
How do I qualify as a woman-owned business? What are the WBENC certification criteria for acceptance?
To be considered for WBEBC certification, you must have:
51% of capital owned by a woman/women who is a US citizen
Woman/women in the highest executive management positions
Woman/women in leadership with unrestricted control of daily operations
You are required to undergo a comprehensive vetting process that includes a review of your financial and business documents as well as a site visit by a member(s) of the certification assessment team. Only after your business has undergone a thorough evaluation will you receive WBENC certification and be formally considered a women-owned business.
Is WBENC certification the same as WOSB certification?
No. WBENC certification provides women-owned business supplier opportunities, primarily with corporations. On the other hand, WOSB certification provides supplier opportunities for those women-owned businesses interested in contracting with the federal government.
WOSB or Woman Owned Small Business federal contracting program is operated by the US Small Business Administration (SBA) and contracts with suppliers across many industries.
Think the Federal government would never work with a small bakery or a business like yours? Think again. US government agencies work with companies like yours daily to procure products and services from boats and office furniture to cakes, cleaning supplies, and graphic design services.
It is important to note that the third-party WBENC certifiers can also provide SBA WOSB certification. If you are a woman-owned small business applying for WBENC certification, you can simultaneously apply for WOSB certification.
In addition to WOSB, the Small Business Administration also offers EDWOSB certification. EDWOSB refers to an Economically Disadvantaged Woman Owned Small Business.
Here is a chart comparing WBENC, WOSB, and EDWOSB to help you determine which certification may be right for you.
Last year, the United States federal government spent $637 billion on supplier contracts. They aim to award at least 5% of this money to women-owned small businesses.
Let’s think about that for a minute.
Five percent of $637 billion is just over $31.8 billion. That’s $31.8 billion that the US government wants to contract specifically to women-owned small businesses each year. Women-owned businesses just like yours. That’s not small change. It’s certainly worth applying.
To determine if you qualify for WOSB or EDWOSB certification, review Title 13 Part 127 Subpart B of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). You can also determine if the Woman-Owned Small Business Program is right for you by taking a preliminary assessment.
Corporations and organizations that actively support women business owners.
To grow your business and benefit from supplier diversity programs, here is a list of corporations and organizations that actively support women-owned businesses. They are also WBENC corporate members.
To stay up to date with the most current list, visit the WBENC list of National Corporate and Government members.
AARP
Abbott
AbbVie Inc.
Accenture
ACRT
Adient
Adobe
ADP
Advance Auto Parts
Aflac
Agilent Technologies, Inc.
AIG
Alaska Airlines
Alkermes
Allegion plc
Allstate Insurance Company
Altec Industries, Inc.
Altria Group
Amazon
American Airlines
American Cancer Society
American Express
American Family Mutual Insurance Company, S.I.
American Red Cross
American Tire Distributors
American Tower Corp.
American Water Inc.
AmerisourceBergen
Amgen Inc.
Ampirical
Aon Corporation
Apex Analytix, LLC
Apollo Global Management
Apple Inc.
Aptiv
ARAMARK
Archer Daniels Midland Co.
ARCO Design/Build
Ardent Mills
Ares Management Corporation
Artera
Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. (AWG)
Assurant
Astellas
AT&T
AVANGRID
Avantor / VWR International
Avis Budget Group, Inc.
AXIS Capital
B2Gnow
Bain & Company
Bancorp Bank
Bank of America
Banner Health
Barclays Capital, Inc.
Barilla America, Inc.
BASF
Bath & Body Works
Bausch Health Companies
Bayer Corporation
BBDO New York
Beam Suntory
Becton Dickinson, and Company (BD)
Berkshire Hathaway Energy
Best Buy
BHP Billiton Petroleum (Deepwater) Inc.
BIC Corporation
Bimbo Bakeries Inc.
BioMarin
Black & Veatch Corporation
Black, Mann & Graham, LLP
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee
BMC Software
BMO Harris Bank, NA
BNSF Railway
BNY Mellon
Booz Allen Hamilton
Boston Consulting Group (BCG)
Boston Scientific
BP America Inc.
Brasfield & Gorrie
Brighthouse Financial
Bristol Myers Squibb
Broadridge Financial Solutions
Brookfield Properties
Bunn-O-Matic Corporation
Burns & McConnell
C.H. ROBINSON
Caesars Entertainment
Calpine Corporation
Campbell Soup
Capgemini USA
Capital Group
Capital One
CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield
Cargill
CarMax
Caterpillar Inc.
CBRE, Inc.
CDW Corporation
Cedars-Sinai Health System
Celanese Corporation
Centene Corporation
CenterPoint Energy
Charter Communications
CHEP International, Inc.
Chevron
Church & Dwight Co, Inc.
CIGNA
Cisco Systems
CitiGroup
Citizens Bank
Citrix
City of Columbia, South Carolina
City of Portland, Oregon
Clean Harbors, Inc.
CLEAResult
Cleveland-Cliffs Inc.
Clorox Corporation
CNA Insurance
Coca-Cola Company
Codelicious
Colgate-Palmolive Corporation
Comcast NBCUniversal
Conagra Brands
ConocoPhillips
Constellation Brands, Inc.
Constellation Energy Group, Inc.
Consumers Energy
Continental AG
Convoy
Corizon Health
Corning Incorporated
Corteva Agriscience
Covestro LLC
Cox Enterprises Inc.
Crisis Prevention Institute
Crown Castle
Cruise, LLC
CTDI
Cummins Inc.
Cushman & Wakefield
CVS Health
Darden Restaurants
Dell Technologies
Delta Airlines, Inc.
Denny’s Corporation
DentaQuest LLC
Dentsu
Dexcom
DHL Express (USA), Inc.
Dick’s Sporting Goods
Discovery
Diversified Maintenance
DiversityComm
Dollar General Corporation
Dominion Energy, Inc.
Dow Chemical Company
DPR Construction
DTE Energy
Duke Energy
Dun & Bradstreet
DuPont
Eaton
Ecolab
Edwards Lifesciences
Element Fleet Management
Elevance Health
Elgia
Empower
Enbridge
Endeavor
Engie North America Inc.
Entergy Corporation
Enterprise Holdings
Enterprising Women
Ericsson, Inc.
Essential Utilities, Inc.
Essity Professional Hygiene NA LLC
Estee Lauder Companies
Exelon
Experian
Extreme Networks Inc.
Exxon Mobil Corporation
EY
Fannie Mae
Farmers Insurance Group
Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati
Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines
Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago
Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
FedEx
Fender Musical Instruments Corporation
Fidelity Information Services (FIS)
Fidelity Investments
Fifth Third Bank
Fiserv
FMC Corporation
Foodbuy
Ford Motor Company
Fortinet, Inc.
Freddie Mac
Frontier Communication
GE Appliances, A Haier Company
Genentech, Inc.
General Electric Company
General Mills
General Motors Company, LLC
Genpact LLC
Gilead Sciences
GlaxoSmithKlein (GSK)
Global Payments Inc.
GM Financial
Goldman Sachs
Google, Inc.
Grady Health System
Grosvenor Americas
GSD&M
Guardian Life Insurance
H&M Hennes & Mauritz
Hargrove, Inc.
Harley-Davidson, Inc.
Hartford
Health Alliance Plan
Health Care Service Corporation
HealthTrust
Hearst Corporation
The Hershey Company
Hess
Hilton Worldwide
Honda Development & Manufacturing of America, LLC
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
HP Inc.
HSBC USA
Hudson County Community College
Humana, Inc.
IBM Corporation
IDEX Corporation
IHG Hotels & Resorts
Indeed
Infoblox Inc.
Intel
Intercontinental Exchange, Inc.
Interpublic Group
Invesco
Iron Mountain Inc.
ISS Facility Services, Inc.
ITW
J.T.M. Food Group
JE Dunn Construction Company
Johnson & Johnson
Johnson Controls
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Judge Group
Kaiser Permanente
Kajima Building & Design Group
Kaplan North America, LLC
KDC Construction
Kellogg Co.
Kelly Services, Inc.
Keybank
Kforce
Kia America
Kiewit
Kimberly-Clark Corporation
Kohl’s
KPMG LLP
Kraft Heinz Co.
Kroger Co.
Kuder Inc.
Kyndryl
L’Oreal USA
Lear
Legend
Lendlease
Lenovo US
Levi Strauss & Co.
Liberty Mutual Insurance
Linde Inc.
Logitech
Louisiana-Pacific Corporation
Lowe’s Companies, Inc.
Macalester College
Macy’s Inc.
Magna International Inc.
Major League Baseball
Mallinckrodt LLC
ManpowerGroup
Marathon Petroleum Corp.
Markel Corporation
Marriott International
Mars Incorporated
Masco Corporation
Mass Mutual
Mastercard
Mayo Clinic
McCain Foods
McCormick & Co., Inc.
McDermott Will & Emery
McDonald’s
McKinsey & Company
Medtronic
Meijer
Merck & Co.
Meta
MetLife
MGM Resorts International
Michelin North America Inc.
Micron Technology Inc.
Microsoft Corporation
Miller Bros.
Miller Electric
MiMotion
Mizuho Americas
Molson Coors Beverage Company
Mondelez International
Monumental Sports & Entertainment
Morgan Stanley
Motion
Motorola Solutions
MSD (Louisville & Jefferson County)
n2y LLC
Nasdaq, LLC
National Basketball Association (NBA)
National Church Residences
National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC)
Nationwide Inc.
Navient Solutions
NCR Corporation
Nelnet
Nestle North America
Netapp Inc.
Netflix
New York Life Insurance Company
New York Times Company
Nielsen
Nike, Inc.
Nisource, Inc.
Nissan North America, Inc.
Nokia, Inc.
Norfolk Southern Corporation
Northwestern Medicine
Northwestern Mutual
NRG Energy, Inc.
NY Road Runners
O.C. Tanner Company
Organon LLC
ORIGO Education
Orlando Health
Ortho Clinical Diagnostics
Otis Elevator
Otsuka America
Pharmaceutical Inc.
Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Papa John’s International
Paramount
Parexel International
Paymentus Corporation
Peloton Interactive
PepsiCo, Inc.
Performance Food Group
Pfizer Inc.
PGA of America
Phillips66
Pitney Bowes Inc.
PNC Financial Services Corporation
Porter Novelli
Premier Inc.
PricewaterhouseCoopers PwC
Principal Financial
Procter & Gamble
Prudential
Puratos Corporation
PVH
Quanta Services, Inc.
QVC/Qurate Retail Group
Randstad
Raymond James Financial
Raytheon Company
RBC
RELX Group
Republic Services, Inc.
Resource Group, an Ascension Subsidiary
Reynolds American Inc.
Ricoh USA, Inc.
Robert Half
Rocket Companies
Ross Stores, Inc.
Royal Caribbean Group
RR Donnelley
Ryan Companies
S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc.
S&P Global
Saatchi & Saatchi
Salesforce
Schneider Electric
Scribbles Software
Securitas Security Services USA Inc.
Sentara Healthcare
ServiceNow
Shell USA, Inc.
Siemens Corporation
Slalom, LLC
Sodexo, Inc.
Sonoco Products Company
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Southeast Connections, LLC
Southeastern Grocers
Southern California Edison
Southern Company Gas
Spire
Splunk, Inc.
Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.
Staples, Inc.
Starbucks Coffee Company
State Compensation Insurance Fund
State Farm Insurance Companies
State Street
Stellantis
Stericycle
Stride, Inc.
Stryker Corporation
Subway Restaurants
Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada
Supplier.io
Swinerton
Synchrony Financial
Synkriom
Sysco Corporation
T-Mobile US Inc.
Tailored Brands, Inc.
Takeda
Target Corporation
TBK Environmental, LLC
TC Energy
TD Ameritrade Services Company Inc.
TD Bank, N.A.
TE Connectivity
The AZEK Company
The Home Depot
The NRP Group
The ODP Corporation
TIAA
Tishman Speyer
TJX Companies
TOYOTA
Trane Technologies
TransUnion
Travel & Leisure
Trinity Health Corporation
Troy Construction
Truist Financial Corporation
Trulieve
Turner & Townsend
Twitter
Tyson Foods
U.S. Bank
U.S. Postal Service
U.S. Tennis Association
Ulta Beauty
Under Armour
UNFI
Unilever
Union Pacific Railroad
Unispace
United Airlines
United Rentals, Inc.
UnitedHealth Group
University of South Florida
UNUM Group
UPS
Upstart
US Foods
USAA
UScellular
Valvoline LLC
Vanderbilt University
Vanderlande Industries
Vanguard
Verisk Analytics
Verizon
VF Corporation
Victoria’s Secret & Co.
Visa, Inc.
Vistra
Vitesco Technologies
Vizient, Inc.
VMware
Volkswagen Group of America
Volunteers of America
Volvo Trucks of North America
W.W. Grainger, Inc.
Walgreens
Walmart, Inc.
Walt Disney Company
Waste Management
Weber Inc.
Weitz
Wellesley College
Wells Fargo
Westrock
Wex Inc.
Whirlpool Corporation
Wieden + Kennedy
William H. Sadlier, Inc.
WIPP
Workday Inc.
World Bank Group
World Wide Technology, Inc.
WW International, Inc.
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts
Xcel Energy
Xerox Corporation
Xylem
Yale University
Yanfeng Global Automotive Interiors
Zebra Technologies
Zoetis
Zurn Water Solutions