MWDBE Certification

What is MWDBE Certification?

The CREO’s Minority Women Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (MWDBE) program is designed to grow KCMO’s local business ecosystem by encouraging historically disadvantaged groups to participate in contracting opportunities.

Types of Certifications

Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE)

• Typically used for federally funded or assisted projects

Minority Business Enterprise (MBE)

To qualify, your business must:

• Be at least 51% owned, managed, and controlled by one or more minorities
• Have a significant presence in the Kansas City metro area
• Meet federal small business size standards
• Perform a commercially useful function
• Be certified by CREO

Women Business Enterprise (WBE)

To qualify, your business must:

• Be at least 51% owned, managed, and controlled by one or more women
• Have a significant presence in the Kansas City metro area
• Meet federal small business size standards
• Perform a commercially useful function
• Be certified by CREO

What Does “Commercially Useful Function” Mean?

Your business must be actively doing the work it was hired to do.

This means your business:

• Performs the work itself, not subcontracting everything out
• Manages its own employees, equipment, and materials
• Makes its own decisions about how the work is completed
• Is not just listed to help meet participation goals

In simple terms:

You must be doing real, meaningful work, not just acting as a pass-through.

Benefits of MWBE Certification

As a certified MWBE business, you can:

Get More Visibility

• Be listed in the City’s MWBE Directory

Find Contract Opportunities

• Receive alerts about bids, Requests for Proposals (RFPs), and Requests for Qualifications (RFQs)
• Sign up for the Bonfire Portal
• Sign up for the Plan Room

Build Regional Connections

Your certification may be recognized by partners such as:

• Kansas City Public Schools
• KCATA, Kansas City Area Transportation Authority
• MARC, Mid-America Regional Council
• EDC-KC, Economic Development Corporation

Before You Apply

Do You Qualify?

Use this quick checklist:

• Your business has been located in the KC metro area for at least 6 months
• Kansas counties: Johnson, Leavenworth, Wyandotte
• Missouri counties: Cass, Clay, Jackson, Platte
• You’ve done business locally more than once in the past 3 years
• You have employees working in or actively seeking business in the KC area
• Your business is independently owned and operating
• Your business meets SBA size standards
• A qualifying owner has the experience, training, and licenses needed
• A qualifying owner owns and controls at least 51% of the business
• A qualifying owner has a personal net worth under $2,047,000, excluding home and business value

If you checked all of these, you’re ready to apply.

How to Apply

Apply Online

• Submit your application through the certification portal: Apply Here

What to Expect

Certification Process

• Application review
• Desk and financial audit
• On-site visit
• Final decision

Timeline

• New applications: approximately 90 days
• Renewals: approximately 35 days

Certification Term

• Valid for 1 year
• Must be renewed annually
• Report any changes in ownership or control right away

MWBE Program Overview

For certain City contracts:

• Participation goals are set for minority- and women-owned businesses
• Contractors and departments work together to meet those goals

Mentor-Protégé Program

This program helps certified businesses grow by pairing them with experienced mentors.

Mentors provide:

• Business guidance
• Industry knowledge
• Contracting support

To participate, contact CREOKC@kcmo.org.

More information about business certifications can be found on the Business Certifications page.

Contact

Civil Rights & Equal Opportunity
City Hall, 4th Floor
414 E. 12th Street
Kansas City, MO 64106
Phone: (816) 513-1836