Emerging Business Enterprise (EBE) Certification Program
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The Emerging Business Enterprise (EBE) Certification Program works to ensure that businesses owned, operated, and controlled by individuals who are socially and economically disadvantaged receive preference for contracting opportunities with New York City. The program is designed to promote fairness and equity in city contracting and to level the playing field for these business owners.
Certified businesses obtain greater access to, and information about, contracting opportunities through classes, networking events, and targeted solicitations. They receive technical assistance to better compete for contracts, and benefit from inclusion in the City's Online Directory Of Certified Businesses, which promotes EBE-certified businesses to purchasers.
To be eligible for EBE Certification, a business must be:
- A Sole Proprietorship, General Partnership, Limited Partnership, Limited Liability Partnership, Limited Liability Company, or Corporation. Nonprofit organizations are not eligible for EBE certification.
- Authorized to do business in New York State.
- At least 51% owned, operated, and controlled by persons who can demonstrate social and economic disadvantage, and who have experienced chronic and substantial negative treatment in the United States. The persons' ability to compete must have been impaired due to diminished access to capital and credit, and the net worth of each socially and economically disadvantaged owner must be less than $1 million.
An eligible business also must have:
- Been selling products or services for a period of at least one year prior to the date of application.
- A real and substantial presence in the geographic market of New York City, which includes the five boroughs of New York City and the following counties: Nassau, Putnam, Rockland, Suffolk, and Westchester in New York, and Bergen, Hudson, and Passaic in New Jersey. Businesses located outside of New York City must have a significant tie to the City's business community. Examples of such ties include having derived 25% or more of gross receipts from business conducted in the City, or possession of a license issued by the City.
Free
Free
5 Years
Gather the documents you will need to complete the process. Click "more info" for a list of the required documents, or download the checklist as a PDF.
- Resumes for everyone who has ownership interest in the business.
- Bank letters including account numbers, a list of those authorized to sign on the account, and any limitations to a signer's authority.
- A financial statement detailing the most recent fiscal year, including a balance sheet or profit-and-loss statement, and describing all cash flows.
- The business' federal, state, and city signed tax returns for the most recent three tax years, including all schedules.
- Personal federal, state, and city signed tax returns of each owner for the prior two tax years, including all schedules. All W-2 forms must total to the amount listed on Line 7 of the IRS form 1040, including spouse's W-2s.
- Proof of U.S. citizenship or permanent resident alien status for each owner.
- Licenses and permits which the business holds.
- Lease agreements or proof of ownership for all business locations, which must be valid for at least six months after the date of application.
- Two or more business contracts and invoices completed and signed, along with proof of payment.
- Vehicle registration(s) for any vehicle used for business purposes.
- Proof of bonding capacity, if applicable.
- Proof of three or more investment sources/capitalization in the business within the past two years (e.g. major purchase receipts, loan agreements, payroll records).
- Proof of contributions used to acquire majority ownership, for each owner, if applicable. Include copies of both sides of canceled checks.
- Proof of any transfers of assets to or from your firm, and/or to or from any of its owners, over the past two years, if applicable.
- Schedule of salaries and other compensation and remuneration paid to owners, managers, directors, and/or officers of the firm, if applicable.
The following documents are also required based on the structure of your business:
- Sole Proprietors must provide a "Business Certificate" filed with the County Clerk if operating under a DBA name.
- Partnerships must provide a partnership agreement, and a business certificate as filed with county clerk.
- Limited Partnerships (LPs) and Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs) must provide a partnership agreement and a state filing receipt, including any amended receipts.
- Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) must provide an LLC Organizational Agreement and LLC Articles of Organization, a state filing receipt, including any amended receipts, and any membership certificates, front and back, as well as the next un-issued certificate.
- Corporations must provide Articles of Incorporation, corporate bylaws, a state filing receipt, including any amended receipts, and stock certificates, front and back, as well as the next un-issued certificate.
- Businesses operating under a trade name or doing-business-as name (DBA) must provide a Certificate of Assumed Name, as filed with the County Clerk. Learn more here.
Each individual owner, director, and officer must provide details of their social and economic disadvantages. Please fill out this document and have it ready when you apply: Individual Documentation (PDF).
Free certification workshops are available if you need any help with this process. Check the Business Courses page for details.
Your businesses must have a Federal Tax ID. This could be an Employer Identification Number (EIN) or a Social Security Number (SSN) for sole proprietors. Learn more about employer identification numbers here.
Businesses must be a registered vendor with the City of New York. To register, you must create an account on the Payee Information Portal.
Businesses are required to register with PASSPort. To register, you must create an account on the PASSPort portal.
Use SBS Connect to track the status of your application. Sign in to your account and view your application from the My Records page.
NYC Small Business Services will notify you of its final determination.
If your business' application is denied, you have a right to appeal the decision. The Instructions for the appeal process will be included in the denial notification from NYC Small Business Services.
EBE certification is valid for five years from the date on the confirmation letter.
In order to maintain your business' EBE status during the certification period, you are required to submit an affirmation form each year to confirm that there have been no material change in ownership, operation, or control of the business. The affirmation form will be mailed out every year prior to the anniversary date of the business' certification. Annual affirmations can also be submitted via SBS Connect.
Requests to change your authorized representative should be emailed to the SBS Certification Unit at mwbe@sbs.nyc.gov. Please provide your business contact details, and use the subject line: "Change to Authorized Representative".
Gather electronic copies of your supporting documents.
To submit a standard application, click on the Apply Online button.
If you do not have electronic copies of your supporting documents, you may mail them to SBS within 30 days of submitting an online application.
Use SBS Connect to renew a certification online. You will need to submit an abbreviated version of the certification application.
If you have any questions regarding renewal, please email the SBS Certification Unit at MWBE@sbs.nyc.gov. Please include your full name, contact details and certification status along with your inquiry.
NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS)
Division of Economic and Financial Opportunity
1 Liberty Plaza, 11th Floor
New York
NY
10006
EBE Certification Program
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