Buyer sourcing guide · Montana

How to Find Certified Diverse Suppliers in Montana

The Montana Department of Transportation is the state's only DBE certifying agency, and its directory covers certified DBE, ACDBE, and SBE firms in one search.

By Mario Bailey, Editor-in-Chief · Reviewed against official Montana 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.

Montana state directories

Start with the official state directory. It lists firms Montana 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.

MDT DBE/SBE Directory

The Montana Department of Transportation's searchable directory of certified DBE, ACDBE, and SBE firms; filter by vendor name, owner, NAICS code, work type, or certification type.

Open the directory ↗

Northwest Mountain Minority Supplier Development Council

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

Northwest Mountain Minority Supplier Development Council ↗

Federal set-aside firms in Montana

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 Montana 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 Montana resources

A diverse business in Montana?

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 →