Frequently Asked Questions

The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, commonly referred to as WBENC (pronounced WE-BANK), is the leading authority on and certifying organization for Women’s Business Enterprises (WBEs) in the U.S. and U.S. territories. WBENC is headquartered in Washington, DC with 14 Regional Partner Organization (RPOs) throughout the U.S.

Each RPO processes certification applications on behalf of WBENC and adheres to stringent Standards and Procedures to maintain the integrity of the WBENC Certification program.

Learn more about WBENC.

WBENC provides a national standard of certification to women-owned businesses through its 14 Regional Partner Organizations and provides purchasing managers with access to more than 18,000 WBENC-Certified WBEs through WBENCLink2.0, our online database profiling WBENC-Certified WBEs.

A Women’s Business Enterprise, commonly referred to as a WBE, is women-owned business that is certified by WBENC.

A WBE refers to the business, not the individual.

A WBENC-Certified WBE is a business that has gone through a rigorous and stringent certification process to confirm the business is owned, managed, and controlled by a woman or women.

WBENC-Certified WBEs use their certification credentials to gain access to WBENC Corporate Members, as well as a number of federal, state, and local government agencies.

NOTE: The business is certified, not the individual.

No. There are no size or length-of-time in business requirements to apply for or obtain WBENC Certification.

The non-refundable processing fee for new applications and recertification is based on annual gross revenue as reported on Federal Taxes and is divided into five tiers.

• Under $1 million: $350
• $1 million – $5 million: $500
• $5 million – $10 million: $750
• $10 million – $50 million: $1,000
• $50 million: $1,250

No. Once documents have been received, the fee is non-refundable.

The non-refundable policy applies to all submitted applications, regardless of whether approved or denied, as well as applications that were not completed or withdrawn prior to final determination.

The certification lasts for one year from the date of issue. WBEs that wish to remain certified must recertify each year.

WBEs are encouraged to begin the recertification process at least 90 days prior to the expiration date to avoid a lapse in certification.

• Log in WBENCLink2.0.
• From the left menu, select “View” and select “My Certifications.”
• In the Current Certifications box, select “View” next to the certification you would like to view.
• At the top of the page, select “View Letters and Certificates” and click “View” next to the WBE/WOSB certificate.

NOTE: A company must have a current status of Certified in order to print a certificate.

A state certification, in most cases, is only good for doing business with that state’s government agencies. WBENC certification is primarily for companies that are targeting major corporations; however, WBENC certification is also recognized by some federal and local governments.

1. Log into your profile in WBENCLink at www.wbenclink.org
2. Click on your Certifications
3. Your system vendor number is in the upper right corner

The processing time is generally 90 days from the date the application is deemed complete by the Regional Partner Organization.

Financial documents, such as the Profit & Loss Statement, provide evidence that the applicant is conducting the business as described in the application. Documents such as the Balance Sheet and tax returns are used collectively to verify the ownership, management, and control by the women owners.

Please note that the certification process does not evaluate the company’s profitability or financial viability.

Submit a letter, along with the other required documentation, stating which documents do not apply and why.

Please note, there is a difference between a document that does not apply and a document that has not yet been created. If it can be created, it should be.

In place of the bank signature card, a letter may be sent from your bank officer on the bank’s letterhead informing WBENC and the RPO of the authorized signatures on the bank account(s) and any stipulations placed on the account(s), e.g., two signatures required on all checks.

Acceptable documents include a birth certificate or passport.

According to most by-laws, the shareholders of record are required to meet annually in order to be in compliance with their own by-laws. If you do not hold an actual meeting, it is to your benefit to have something on file that states you waived the annual meeting.

All of the Regional Partner Organizations have Certification Review Committees who have been trained in WBENC Certification Standards & Procedures. Upon signing a Confidentiality Agreement, Committee members review the information and make recommendations regarding the eligibility of each applicant.

The trained Certification Review Committees consists of Corporate and WBE volunteers. These volunteers have been trained in WBENC Certification Standards & Procedures. Committee member names are not disclosed to the public, and they are required to recuse themselves if they have knowledge of a given applicant, whether as a supplier, customer, or competitor.

Yes, an on-site visit is mandatory with each initial application and must be performed every three years thereafter as part of the recertification process (or more frequently at the Certification Review Committee’s discretion). The applicant does not pay for any of the site visits. All site visits are scheduled with the owner in advance.

Yes, a woman and a man can own the company jointly; however, the woman must be the majority owner (at least 51% ownership) and must demonstrate that her management and control of the company, her contribution of capital and/or expertise, and her assumption of all profits and risks are commensurate with her ownership percentage. A woman must also hold the highest office as outlined in the company’s governance documentation.

No, certification is not transferable. Certification is based on the representation of the business by the owner who applies for and successfully completes the full certification process.

The owner and the person listed as the company contact will receive automated e-mails informing them when each step of the process has been completed. If additional information is needed, please contact the Regional Partner Organization that is assigned to process your application.

Security of the WBENCLink2.0 system and your information is top priority. All submitted documents are treated with the utmost confidentiality. The WBENC Sworn Affidavit details our commitment to confidentiality of your application materials. Once the application is submitted, RPO staff can view the application during their review only if they explicitly have the required level of user access. All actions to access, view, update, and comment on your application are logged for auditing purposes.

During the Certification Review Committee meetings, the file is reviewed by the Committee. Any Committee member(s) in a competitive industry do not have access to the file, nor are they present during any discussion of your application. Additionally, staff and Committee members sign Confidentiality Disclosure statements agreeing to keep all information confidential and proprietary with the understanding that any disclosure could cause harm to the applicant. WBENC and the RPOs take your privacy and the confidentiality of your information very seriously.

Contact the Certification Manager in the office of your local Regional Partner Organization. Once you submit your application, the Submit Application page will show the Certification Manager’s contact information.

You can find this page by logging into your application in WBENCLink2.0 at any time (go to View, My Certifications, click on “Process” next to the application would would like to view, then click “View” in the Submit section).

If you are applying for certification for the first time, or you are submitting a recertification application 90 days after your expiration date, you will have to restart an application. For security reasons, the system purges all application data for applications not submitted within 90 days. Please note, you are able to extend the date of deletion by clicking “Extend” next to the Deletion Date on the main page of your application. If you experience difficulty, please contact support@wbenc.org.

Please note, you will be unable to submit a recertification application 90 days past your expiration date. If you certification lapses, you will need to submit a “New” application for certification.

The recertification process is much simpler, and all the initial documents are not required. However, WBENC requests a renewed Sworn Affidavit, WBENCLink2.0 User Agreement, updated financial information, board meeting minutes (if applicable), and any supporting documents to support changes that may have occurred in either ownership or management of the business.

No. Recertification is not automatic. The owner is sent a courtesy reminder 120 days prior to the expiration date of the company’s certification. The reminder email will be sent to the primary owner’s email address on file, and will be generated from the WBENCLink2.0 system. However, WBENC does not guarantee receipt of the reminder e-mail and recommends the WBE marks its calendar as a reminder to begin the process at least 90 days prior to its expiration date.

No, the certification is valid for a period of one year. It is not a rolling 12 months.