Certifications | Betterment Strategies

Minority Business Enterprise (MBE)

A for-profit business located in the United States;
51% owned, operated, capitalized, and controlled by a member(s) of a presumed group, who is the top executive officer responsible for managing daily operations with technical expertise (experience) in the firm’s primary business expertise;
Legal residents (green cards) are accepted by most MBE programs administered by a city, county, and state.

Women-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE)

‍A for-profit business located in the United States;
51% owned by a woman, or a group of women who, but for an inheritance, contributed a proportionate amount of capital to acquire ownership.When applicable, the governing board is controlled by a woman or a group of women;
Top executive officer, responsible for daily operations is a woman with technical expertise (experience) in the firm’s primary business activity;
Women owners are U.S. Citizens or legal residents.

Women-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE)

‍A for-profit business located in the United States;
51% owned by a woman, or a group of women who, but for an inheritance, contributed a proportionate amount of capital to acquire ownership.When applicable, the governing board is controlled by a woman or a group of women;
Top executive officer, responsible for daily operations is a woman with technical expertise (experience) in the firm’s primary business activity;
Women owners are U.S. Citizens or legal residents.

‍Small Business Enterprise (SBE)

Be independently owned and operated;
Not dominant in the field of operation;
Principal office located in California;
Owners (officers, if a corporation) domiciled in California; and,
Including affiliates, be either,
A business with 100 or fewer employees; an average annual gross receipts of $15 million or less, over the last three tax years;
A manufacturer* with 100 or fewer employees; or,
A micro business – a small business will automatically be designated as a micro-business if gross annual receipts are $5,000,000 or less; or the small business is a manufacturer with 25 or fewer employees.

Disadvantage Business Enterprise (DBE)

Applicants, by a preponderance of the evidence, must meet all requirements concerning group membership (or individual disadvantage), business size, ownership, and control as defined in the 49 C.F.R. 26 Subpart D;
Fifty-one percent (51%) owned, capitalized, and controlled by one or more U.S. Citizens, or a legal resident (green card), who are socially and economically disadvantaged as defined below:
Social Disadvantage means an individual who is a member of a presumed group or a woman;
Economic Disadvantage means, in general terms, excluding the primary residence and ownership in the applicant firm, a socially disadvantaged individual who does not have a personal net worth in excess of $1.32 million;
Be a for-profit business, located in the United States, independently owned and operated by one or more disadvantaged individuals;
Annual gross receipts, as defined by SBA regulations 13 CFR 121.402, averaged over the previous three years, in excess of $23.98 million;
The acquisition of fifty-one percent (51%) business ownership by disadvantaged individuals must be real, substantial, ongoing, beyond pro forma, as reflected in the entity’s governing and/or ownership documents;
A disadvantaged individual must hold the highest, executive office, be responsible for managing the firm’s day-to-day business and have technical experience, in the firm’s primary business activity;

Disadvantage Business Enterprise (DBE)

Applicants, by a preponderance of the evidence, must meet all requirements concerning group membership (or individual disadvantage), business size, ownership, and control as defined in the 49 C.F.R. 26 Subpart D;
Fifty-one percent (51%) owned, capitalized, and controlled by one or more U.S. Citizens, or a legal resident (green card), who are socially and economically disadvantaged as defined below:
Social Disadvantage means an individual who is a member of a presumed group or a woman;
Economic Disadvantage means, in general terms, excluding the primary residence and ownership in the applicant firm, a socially disadvantaged individual who does not have a personal net worth in excess of $1.32 million;
Be a for-profit business, located in the United States, independently owned and operated by one or more disadvantaged individuals;
Annual gross receipts, as defined by SBA regulations 13 CFR 121.402, averaged over the previous three years, in excess of $23.98 million;
The acquisition of fifty-one percent (51%) business ownership by disadvantaged individuals must be real, substantial, ongoing, beyond pro forma, as reflected in the entity’s governing and/or ownership documents;
A disadvantaged individual must hold the highest, executive office, be responsible for managing the firm’s day-to-day business and have technical experience, in the firm’s primary business activity;