Certified to Compete: What Business Certifications Can Do for Your Small Business

Business certifications, whether that's MBE, WBE, DBE, or any number of designations, can open real doors for small businesses looking to do business with corporations, government agencies, and anchor institutions. Large entities often have supplier diversity mandates, and being certified puts you in the room where those procurement conversations happen. It's a positioning tool, not a guarantee, but for the right business at the right stage, it can be the difference between being considered and being overlooked entirely.

Where to get certified locally

Here in the Philadelphia region, there are local organizations built specifically to support this process. WBEC-East serves as the third-party certifier of women-owned businesses for the City of Philadelphia, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the SBA's Women-Owned Small Business Program. EMSDC certifies and connects minority-owned businesses, Asian, Black, Hispanic, and Native American, throughout Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey, and Delaware with member corporations committed to supplier diversity. And The Enterprise Center provides Minority, Women, and Disabled Business Enterprise (M/W/DSBE) certification services on behalf of the City of Philadelphia's Office of Economic Opportunity, giving certified businesses priority consideration when city departments are purchasing goods and services.

Nice to have, or must have?

Certification is a nice to have, not a must-have, and that distinction matters. The application process, filing fees, and annual renewals require time and money, so this is an investment that makes the most sense when your business is ready to actively pursue and sustain the contracts that certification helps unlock. If you are still building toward that stage, focus first on strengthening your operations, your capacity, and your track record, so that when you do certify, you are positioned to win.

At the Urban League Entrepreneurship Center, we help small-business owners think through exactly these questions: when to certify, how to prepare, and how to access the capital and contracts that move a business forward. If you are ready to take the next step, connect with our team and explore financing through the Urban League's CDFI at ulpcif.org.

Momentum Newsletter: July 2026 | Issue 7 | Civil Rights & Civic Inclusion

Learn More: The Entrepreneurship Center