Buyer sourcing guide · Colorado

How to Find Certified Diverse Suppliers in Colorado

CDOT and the City and County of Denver certify DBEs through the Colorado UCP, and their shared directory lists every DBE and ACDBE firm eligible for FHWA, FAA, and FTA-funded contracts in Colorado.

By Mario Bailey, Editor-in-Chief · Reviewed against official Colorado and federal sources · Last verified July 2026

Heads up

Verify DBE status carefully right now: under the USDOT Interim Final Rule issued October 3, 2025, existing DBE and ACDBE certifications are being re-evaluated and may not be counted toward contract goals until a firm is recertified. Confirm a firm's current status before relying on it.

Colorado state directories

Start with the official state directory. It lists firms Colorado has certified, and it is the source public buyers and prime contractors use to confirm a firm counts toward state and federally funded contract goals.

Colorado UCP DBE & ACDBE Directory

The Colorado UCP certified directory of DBE and ACDBE firms, searchable from the program portal that CDOT and Denver share. Denver is the sole certifier for Denver International Airport ACDBEs.

Open the directory ↗

Mountain Plains Minority Supplier Development Council

The regional National Minority Supplier Development Council affiliate serving Colorado. Corporate buyers source certified Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) through its network.

Mountain Plains Minority Supplier Development Council ↗

Federal set-aside firms in Colorado

For federal contracts and subcontracting plans, search SAM.gov and filter by location and socioeconomic status: 8(a), Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB), Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned (SDVOSB), and HUBZone. These are separate from the state and council certifications above, and buyers count them differently.

Verify before you rely on a certification

A certificate on its own is not proof. Before you count a Colorado supplier toward a diverse spend goal or a subcontracting plan:

  1. Confirm the record is active, not expired, in the issuing directory above.
  2. Check the certification type matches what your program counts. MBE, DBE, WOSB, and CBE are not interchangeable.
  3. Keep a dated screenshot or export of the directory record for your compliance file.

More Colorado resources

A diverse business in Colorado?

Get certified so buyers find you in these directories. Our guide covers every certification, what it costs, and how to apply.

How to get certified →