Facilities services — janitorial, cleaning, and building maintenance — is one of the most active categories in corporate supplier diversity spending. Large corporations outsource building maintenance to external vendors and actively seek minority-owned firms to meet their supplier diversity goals. NMSDC's Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) certification is the standard credential for accessing these corporate contracts.
NAICS 561720 (Janitorial Services) is the primary code for cleaning companies. If your firm also does building maintenance beyond cleaning, NAICS 561210 (Facilities Support Services) may be applicable. Both fit within the broader facilities management category that corporate procurement teams source from.
The NMSDC MBE certification process for cleaning companies
NMSDC certifies minority-owned businesses through 23 regional affiliate councils. The process involves a document review and an on-site inspection. For a cleaning company, the site visit takes on particular importance because the council's reviewer needs to verify that the minority owner genuinely controls an operating business — not a shell entity — and that the business has the operational capacity it claims.
The basic eligibility requirements:
- The firm must be at least 51% owned by minority group members (African American, Hispanic American, Asian-Pacific American, or Asian-Indian American) who are U.S. citizens
- The minority owner(s) must manage and control the firm day-to-day
- The firm must be a for-profit business
NMSDC does not set a size limit for MBE certification. This distinguishes it from SBA programs. A janitorial company with $50 million in revenue can be MBE certified if it remains majority minority-owned and controlled.
Documents you will need
The document requirements for a cleaning company are standard across most NMSDC regional councils, though specific forms vary:
Ownership proof: - U.S. citizenship documents for each minority owner (passport, birth certificate, or naturalization certificate) - Documentation of minority ethnicity (councils vary on what they accept; contact your regional council for specifics) - Business ownership documents: operating agreement or partnership agreement, articles of incorporation or organization, stock certificates or membership certificates showing the minority owner's percentage
Financial records: - Three most recent years of federal tax returns (business) - Current financial statements (balance sheet and income statement — can be internally prepared for smaller firms) - Three to six months of business bank statements
Operational records: - Business license (city/county/state as required in your jurisdiction) - Certificates of insurance: general liability, workers' compensation, commercial auto. Cleaning companies typically carry $1–5 million in general liability depending on client requirements - Client contracts or service agreements (demonstrates active business operations) - Employee roster or payroll records
Business description: - Description of services offered (commercial cleaning, floor care, window washing, specialty cleaning, etc.) - List of current clients and industries served (hospitals, offices, retail, government facilities, etc.) - Equipment list (commercial vacuums, floor buffers, auto scrubbers, cleaning supply inventory)
The site visit for a cleaning company
The NMSDC site visit is designed to verify that your business is real and that the minority owner is genuinely in charge. For a cleaning company, the reviewer is looking for:
A functioning office location: This can be your home office, a commercial office, or an equipment storage facility. The reviewer needs to see that you have a real base of operations, not just a mailbox.
The minority owner's active presence: The owner should be at the site visit and be able to speak knowledgeably about contracts, pricing, employee management, and business operations. If the owner cannot answer basic questions about how the business operates, it raises control concerns.
Equipment and supplies: Commercial cleaning equipment (floor machines, extractors, vacuums, pressure washers if applicable) and a supply inventory are indicators of genuine operational capacity.
Employees and payroll: The reviewer may ask about how many employees you have, how you hire and train them, and how you manage scheduling. For a staffing-intensive business like commercial cleaning, workforce management is a core competency.
If your employees are classified as 1099 subcontractors rather than W-2 employees, be prepared to explain your business model. Some NMSDC councils scrutinize subcontractor-heavy models, particularly if the subcontractors are running the day-to-day work while the minority owner primarily sells.
Licensing requirements for cleaning companies
Janitorial businesses face relatively low licensing barriers compared to construction or healthcare, but several requirements apply:
Business licenses: Most jurisdictions require a basic business license. Some cities have separate service business or contractor registration requirements.
Workers' compensation insurance: Any state where you employ W-2 workers requires workers' compensation coverage. This is a non-negotiable for commercial cleaning because of slip, fall, and chemical exposure risks. Corporate clients will ask for this certificate.
Bonding: Commercial cleaning companies are often required to be bonded (typically a $10,000 to $50,000 fidelity or dishonesty bond). This protects clients from theft by cleaning employees. Many corporate clients require bonded vendors.
OSHA compliance: OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200) requires employers to maintain Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for chemical products used in cleaning. Healthcare facility clients may require HIPAA-compliant cleaning protocols. Food service facilities require knowledge of specific sanitation standards.
Specialty cleaning licenses: Some states require separate licensing for specific services. Biohazard or crime scene cleaning requires specialized training and often state licensing. Pool and water feature maintenance may require a separate license.
What corporate contracts look like for MBE cleaning firms
Corporate facilities contracts range from small single-facility agreements to multi-site national accounts:
Single-facility contracts: A regional office, retail store, or manufacturing facility. These range from $50K to $500K per year depending on facility size and service scope.
Multi-site agreements: Large corporations with dozens or hundreds of facilities prefer consolidated vendors but increasingly use regional MBE cleaning firms to meet diversity goals. A 50-location regional agreement can be worth $2–10 million per year.
Integrated facilities management: Some corporations outsource all facilities services to an integrated facilities management (IFM) firm. MBE cleaning companies often work as specialty subcontractors within these arrangements.
A concrete example: Sodexo, ABM Industries, and Aramark — the three largest facilities services companies in the U.S. — all maintain active supplier diversity programs because their corporate clients demand diverse supply chains. Each runs supplier diversity sourcing programs and maintains MBE vendor registrations. MBE janitorial firms that reach $5–15 million in revenue often work as preferred subcontractors to these large integrators while also pursuing direct corporate accounts.
Target industries for MBE cleaning firms: healthcare (hospitals and medical offices require certified cleaning staff), financial services (banks and insurance companies with supplier diversity goals), higher education (universities with procurement diversity programs), and large retailers.
Government contracts for cleaning companies
NAICS 561720 is an active code for federal government custodial services contracts. Federal agencies — GSA, VA, DoD facilities — contract for building cleaning and janitorial services. These can run as set-aside contracts under the 8(a) or HUBZone programs if you hold those certifications.
MBE certification is specific to corporate supplier diversity. It does not provide federal contracting set-aside access directly. However, many MBE-certified cleaning firms pursue both corporate contracts (where MBE certification is the relevant credential) and federal contracts (where 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, or WOSB certifications are relevant).
Holding both NMSDC MBE and an SBA certification (particularly 8(a)) is a strong combination for a cleaning company because it opens both markets simultaneously.
How to apply for NMSDC MBE certification
- Find your regional NMSDC affiliate council at nmsdc.org/councils. Your council is determined by the state where your principal business location is.
- Create an account on the NMSDC certification portal and begin the application.
- Gather ownership documentation, three years of tax returns, and certificates of insurance.
- Verify your state and local licensing is current before submitting — councils may require this.
- Submit the application and pay the application fee (typically $350–$1,500 for initial certification, varying by council and revenue level).
- Prepare for the site visit. Ensure your office is presentable and that the minority owner is available for a substantive interview.
- After certification, add your firm to your council's supplier database. Corporate procurement teams search these databases when sourcing MBE cleaning vendors.
Annual renewal requires updated financial statements, confirmation of unchanged ownership, and payment of the renewal fee.
