Small Business Resource

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Visit the OWMBE Website
 

About this Resource

The Office of Minority and Women's Business Enterprises (OMWBE) offers a variety of services to support minority- and women-owned businesses in Washington state. Some of their key services include:

Certification: OMWBE certifies small businesses owned and controlled by minorities, women, and socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. This certification helps increase contracting opportunities with state and local governments.

Linked Deposit Program: Certified businesses can access this program to receive reduced interest rates on small business loans.

Business Support Services: OMWBE provides resources, training, and technical assistance to help businesses grow and succeed.

Supplier Diversity: The office works with state agencies, local governments, and institutions of higher education to promote equitable and inclusive purchasing practices.

These services aim to promote equity and inclusion in public contracting and procurement, helping minority- and women-owned businesses thrive in Washington state.

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Visit the WDVA Website
 

About this Resource

Washington State has a certification for Veterans and Servicemembers.  Certification is free and requires only basic veteran discharge status and business information to complete.

Washington State agencies have been asked by Governor Inslee to do 5% of their purchasing from Veteran or Servicemember Owned Businesses.  By linking the Washington Department of Vetrans Affairs Certified Veteran and Servicemember Owned Business list to Washington's Electronic Business Solution (WEBS), an internet-based site hosted by the Department of Enterprise Services (DES), state agencies will now have a way to identify WDVA Certified Businesses and keep track of how they’re doing toward their purchasing goals.

It will also help private businesses and citizens across the state with easy access to your business information through the list of WDVA Certified Veteran or Servicemember Owned Businesses in their communities.

And it makes you eligible to apply for the Veterans Linked Deposit Program which can improve access to capital for certified Veteran and Servicemember Owned Business enterprises by decreasing interest rates on small business loans by 2%!

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Visit this Resource's Website

About this Resource

State agencies are required to take specific steps to ensure they give Washington state small, diverse, and veteran-owned businesses equitable access to goods and services contracts. 

Some of their supplier diversity work includes:

Procurement Inclusion and Equity (PIE) program: We help small, diverse and veteran-owned businesses sell goods and services to Washington state governments. We are also working on changing procurement culture in government purchasing and building pipeline of small, diverse and veteran-owned businesses on statewide goods and services contracts.

State Contracts Assistance Network (SCAN): We connect small and diverse businesses with organizations and tools to help you be more successful at selling goods and services to the state.

Business Diversity Advisory Group (BDAG): Comprised of vendors, BDAG advises our Contracts and Procurement Division on ways to reduce barriers for small, diverse and veteran-owned businesses to participate in state contracts for goods and services. BDAG helped us develop the enterprise Supplier Diversity policy.

Encouraging Diversity, Growth, and Equity (EDGE): This pilot program is designed to give mini and micro-sized construction firms a more equitable space in the public works bidding and procurement process. 

See the whole list here.