Through the Office of Economic Opportunity (OBE), the City of Philadelphia works to ensure that Minority (MBE), Women (WBE), and Disabled Owned Business Enterprises (DSBE) receive a fair shot at city contracts.
Philadelphia tries to award 25 percent of its contract dollars to companies that are MBE, WBE, or DSBE certified. With the certification, these businesses bid preferences from the city.
In order to be recognized by the city as a MBE, WBE, or DSBE, a firm does not need to go through a certification process with the city. Instead, Philadelphia accepts certification from other entities, including the Pennsylvania Unified Certification Program, New Jersey Department of the Treasury M/WBE Certification, Metropolitan Washington Unified Certification Program, Baltimore, Maryland Minority & Women Business Opportunity Office, Delaware Department of Transportation DBE Program, and other regional programs.
Does this local/state program offer reciprocal certifications with other local/state programs? There is no direct certification but rather a process of recognition of the certifications offered by other certifying agencies, listed at https://www.phila.gov/commerce/businessSupport/mwdsbeSupport/Pages/Certification.aspx.
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