Reporting on supplier diversity.

WEConnect International vs WBENC: which women business certification do you need?

WBENC is the credential US corporations check for domestic supplier diversity. WEConnect International is what multinational buyers check when sourcing globally. Most …

· Mario Bailey

Supplier diversity in media and entertainment: opportunities for diverse content creators and suppliers

Major studios and streaming platforms have made public diverse supplier commitments since 2020, but formal program structures vary widely. Here is what …

· Mario Bailey

Supplier diversity in healthcare: certification opportunities for diverse businesses

Hospital systems and federal health agencies collectively spend billions annually through supplier diversity programs. NMSDC MBE and WBENC WBE are the credentials …

· Mario Bailey

Supplier diversity in food and beverage: how diverse producers get into retail and corporate supply chains

Retail giants like Walmart, Kroger, and Whole Foods all run structured programs to source from diverse food brands. Knowing which certification to …

· Mario Bailey

How to become a Macy's diverse supplier

Macy's runs a formal supplier diversity program through its vendor registration portal and attends NMSDC and WBENC conferences annually. Here's how to …

· Mario Bailey

Supplier diversity in staffing and HR services: placement agencies, payroll, and benefits

Staffing is one of the most accessible supplier diversity categories for new diverse firms. GSA Schedule SIN 736 and NMSDC/WBENC working groups …

· Mario Bailey

Guide · 6 min

How Much Does WBENC Certification Cost in 2026? ($350–$1,250 Fee Table)

WBENC charges one annual fee that covers both your application and certification, scaled across five revenue tiers from $350 to $1,250. Here …

· Maya Okonkwo

WBENC WBE vs SBA WOSB: corporate credential vs federal set-aside

WBENC [WBE certification](/guides/wbe/) and SBA [WOSB certification](/guides/wosb/) are not competing alternatives. They open doors to entirely different markets, and the right choice …

· Mario Bailey

How to become a Hershey Company diverse supplier

Hershey sources from MBE, WBE, SDVOSB, and other certified diverse suppliers across ingredients, packaging, marketing, and retail services. Registration goes through their …

· Mario Bailey

What is the Billion Dollar Roundtable?

The Billion Dollar Roundtable is a coalition of corporations that each spend more than $1 billion per year with diverse suppliers at …

· Mario Bailey

How corporate supplier diversity programs actually work

Corporate supplier diversity programs operate as internal advocacy and tracking functions within large procurement organizations. Understanding who actually makes buying decisions — …

· Mario Bailey

How to become an Abbott Laboratories diverse supplier

Abbott is a WBENC and NMSDC corporate member with a formal supplier diversity program that purchases across medical devices, diagnostics, nutrition, and …

· Mario Bailey

How to become a Estee Lauder diverse supplier

Estée Lauder Companies runs one of the most structured diverse supplier programs in consumer goods, with formal NMSDC and WBENC ties and …

· Mario Bailey

WBE certification in Arizona: Requirements, Process, and Benefits

Arizona women business owners have two main certification paths: WBENC (through WBEC-West for corporate buyers) and DBE (through AZUCP for state transportation …

Jul 6, 2026 · Mario Bailey

WBE certification in Massachusetts: Requirements, Process, and Benefits

Massachusetts has two separate WBE certification tracks: WBENC through the Center for Women & Enterprise and the state's own SOMWBA program. They …

Jul 6, 2026 · Mario Bailey

WBE certification in Wyoming: Requirements, Process, and Benefits

Wyoming WBE certification runs through WBEC-West, the WBENC regional partner covering the state. Fees range from $350 to $1,250 per year based …

Jul 6, 2026 · Mario Bailey

WBE certification in Wisconsin: Requirements, Process, and Benefits

Wisconsin women-owned businesses can pursue certification through the Wisconsin Procurement Institute (WPI), the WBENC regional affiliate, or through WisDOT's DBE program for …

Jul 6, 2026 · Mario Bailey

WBE certification in Vermont: Requirements, Process, and Benefits

Vermont women business owners can pursue WBE certification through two paths: WBENC (via WBEC Metro NY as the regional affiliate) or the …

Jul 6, 2026 · Mario Bailey

WBE certification in Utah: Requirements, Process, and Benefits

Utah women business owners can pursue WBE certification through two paths: WBENC (via Mountain West Minority Supplier Development Council) or Utah's state-level …

Jul 6, 2026 · Mario Bailey

WBE certification in Tennessee: Requirements, Process, and Benefits

Tennessee has two separate WBE certification programs that open different doors. Go-DBE covers state and local government contracts; WBENC Southeast covers Fortune …

Jul 6, 2026 · Mario Bailey

WBE certification in South Dakota: Requirements, Process, and Benefits

South Dakota does not have a standalone state WBE program, but women business owners can certify through WBENC's regional affiliate or through …

Jul 6, 2026 · Mario Bailey

WBE certification in South Carolina: Requirements, Process, and Benefits

South Carolina women business owners can pursue WBE certification through WBENC (via the Women's Business Enterprise Council South) or the state's own …

Jul 6, 2026 · Mario Bailey

WBE certification in Pennsylvania: Requirements, Process, and Benefits

Pennsylvania women-owned businesses can pursue two separate WBE certifications: WBENC recognition through WBEC-East, or the state's own program through the Bureau of …

Jul 6, 2026 · Mario Bailey

WBE certification in Oregon: Requirements, Process, and Benefits

Oregon women-owned businesses can certify through two paths: the WBENC-affiliate Northwest Mountain Minority Supplier Development Council or Oregon's own COBID program, which …

Jul 6, 2026 · Mario Bailey

WBE certification in Oklahoma: Requirements, Process, and Benefits

Oklahoma women business owners have two certification paths: WBENC certification through Women's Business Council Southwest, and the state's EDGE program through OMES. …

Jul 6, 2026 · Mario Bailey

WBE certification in Ohio: Requirements, Process, and Benefits

Ohio women-owned businesses can pursue two distinct certification tracks: WBENC certification through WBEC Great Lakes, or the state's EDGE program for Ohio …

Jul 6, 2026 · Mario Bailey

WBE certification in North Carolina: Requirements, Process, and Benefits

North Carolina women business owners can pursue two separate certifications: WBENC certification through WBEC South, and the state's HUB program through the …

Jul 6, 2026 · Mario Bailey

WBE certification in New York: Requirements, Process, and Benefits

New York has two separate WBE certification tracks: WBENC through the Women's Business Enterprise Council Metro NY/NJ (regional affiliate) and the state-run …

Jul 6, 2026 · Mario Bailey

WBE certification in New Mexico: Requirements, Process, and Benefits

New Mexico women business owners can pursue WBENC certification through the Women's Business Enterprise Council Southwest or a state-level WBE designation through …

Jul 6, 2026 · Mario Bailey

WBE certification in New Hampshire: Requirements, Process, and Benefits

New Hampshire women-owned businesses can pursue two distinct certification paths: WBENC certification through WBEC Metro NY/NJ, and the state DBE program administered …

Jul 6, 2026 · Mario Bailey

WBE certification in Nebraska: Requirements, Process, and Benefits

Nebraska women-owned businesses can pursue certification through the Women's Business Enterprise Council Great Plains (WBEC Great Plains), WBENC's regional affiliate, or the …

Jul 6, 2026 · Mario Bailey

WBE certification in Montana: Requirements, Process, and Benefits

Montana women business owners can pursue WBENC certification through WPEO-West or the state's DBE program through MDT. Each opens a different set …

Jul 6, 2026 · Mario Bailey

WBE certification in Mississippi: Requirements, Process, and Benefits

Mississippi has two WBE certification paths: a state WBE through the Mississippi Development Authority for state contracts, and WBENC certification through the …

Jul 6, 2026 · Mario Bailey

WBE certification in Minnesota: Requirements, Process, and Benefits

Women-owned businesses in Minnesota can certify through WBENC's regional affiliate or the state's Targeted Group program—each opens different doors, and many businesses …

Jul 6, 2026 · Mario Bailey

WBE certification in Michigan: Requirements, Process, and Benefits

In Michigan, WBENC certification is issued by the Great Lakes Women's Business Council, the regional partner serving Michigan and Indiana. The review …

Jul 6, 2026 · Mario Bailey

WBE certification in Louisiana: Requirements, Process, and Benefits

Louisiana women business owners have two main paths: WBENC certification through WBEC-South for corporate buyers, and the Hudson Initiative through Louisiana Economic …

Jul 6, 2026 · Mario Bailey

WBE certification in Kentucky: Requirements, Process, and Benefits

Kentucky women-owned businesses can pursue WBENC certification through the Mid-America Women's Business Council or state [DBE certification](/guides/dbe/) through the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. …

Jul 6, 2026 · Mario Bailey

WBE certification in Kansas: Requirements, Process, and Benefits

Kansas women business owners have two WBE certification paths: WBENC certification through the Mid-States Minority Supplier Development Council or state-level certification through …

Jul 6, 2026 · Mario Bailey

WBE certification in Iowa: Requirements, Process, and Benefits

Iowa women-owned businesses have two distinct certification paths: the WBDC (WBENC's regional partner) for corporate contracts, and the Iowa Economic Development Authority's …

Jul 6, 2026 · Mario Bailey

WBE certification in Illinois: Requirements, Process, and Benefits

Illinois women-owned businesses have two main certification paths: WBENC regional certification through the Women's Business Development Center and the state Business Enterprise …

Jul 6, 2026 · Mario Bailey

WBE certification in Idaho: Requirements, Process, and Benefits

Idaho WBE certification runs through WBEC-Pacific, the WBENC regional partner for the Pacific Northwest. The application fee ranges from $350 to $1,250 …

Jul 6, 2026 · Mario Bailey

WBE certification in Florida: Requirements, Process, and Benefits

Florida women-owned businesses can pursue certification through two separate tracks: WBENC (the national standard accepted by Fortune 500 companies) and Florida's state-level …

Jul 6, 2026 · Mario Bailey

WBE certification in Connecticut: Requirements, Process, and Benefits

Connecticut women business owners can pursue three separate certifications depending on who they want to sell to: DAS MBE/WBE for state contracts, …

Jul 6, 2026 · Mario Bailey

WBE certification in Colorado: Requirements, Process, and Benefits

Colorado women-owned businesses can pursue WBENC certification through the Rocky Mountain MSDC or state WBE certification through COBID—and the two serve different …

Jul 6, 2026 · Mario Bailey

WBE certification in California: Requirements, Process, and Benefits

California women-owned businesses can certify through two separate programs: WBEC-West (the WBENC regional affiliate) for corporate supplier diversity contracts, and the state's …

Jul 6, 2026 · Mario Bailey

WBE certification in Arkansas: Requirements, Process, and Benefits

Arkansas women-owned businesses can pursue WBENC certification through the Women's Business Enterprise Council South and a separate state WBE designation through the …

Jul 6, 2026 · Mario Bailey

WBE certification in Alaska: Requirements, Process, and Benefits

Alaska women-owned businesses can pursue WBENC certification through the Northwest Mountain Minority Supplier Development Council or qualify for state DBE programs administered …

Jul 6, 2026 · Mario Bailey

WBE certification in Alabama: Requirements, Process, and Benefits

Alabama women-owned businesses can pursue WBE certification through WBENC's regional affiliate or the state DBE program—each opens different contract markets, with WBENC …

Jul 6, 2026 · Mario Bailey

MBE vs WBE certification: what is the difference and which do you need?

[MBE certification](/guides/mbe/) targets minority-owned businesses through NMSDC; WBE targets women-owned businesses through WBENC. A woman of color can — and often should …

Jul 6, 2026 · Mario Bailey

How to become an American Airlines supplier (and get into its supplier diversity program)

American Airlines has run a supplier diversity program since 1989, but the airline buys on competitive bids. Here's how to register, which …

May 29, 2026 · Maya Okonkwo

How a diverse-owned web design and development agency wins corporate accounts

Corporate supplier diversity programs spend over $200 billion a year, and digital work is in scope. Here's which certifications buyers count, who's …

Apr 2, 2026 · Maya Okonkwo

Supplier diversity for photography and video production: how a diverse-owned shop wins corporate accounts

Corporations and their ad agencies spend real money on diverse-owned production firms, but the work goes to shops that get certified, registered, …

Mar 23, 2026 · Will Moss

How to become a Ford Motor Company supplier (and how its supplier diversity program works)

Registering with Ford takes an afternoon. Getting sourced takes a capability statement, the right certification, and patience. Here's the real path, and …

Mar 9, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Supplier diversity for HR, payroll, and benefits firms: how a diverse-owned shop wins corporate work

HR, payroll, and benefits administration is a labor-spend category, which makes it one of the easiest ways for a corporation to move …

Mar 6, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Supplier diversity for event planning companies: how a certified shop wins corporate work

A diverse-owned event or meeting services firm has a real edge with corporate buyers, but only if you get certified, get found, …

Feb 27, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Supplier diversity for accounting firms: how a diverse-owned CPA practice wins corporate and government work

Accounting is one of the easiest professional services to buy from a diverse-owned firm, and one of the hardest to break into …

Feb 20, 2026 · Maya Okonkwo

NMSDC vs WBENC: Which Certification Should You Pursue First?

If you qualify for both NMSDC MBE and WBENC WBE, which do you pursue first? A practical decision framework based on the …

Feb 10, 2026 · Mario Bailey