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.
Rhode Island state directories
Start with the official state directory. It lists firms Rhode Island 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.
Rhode Island MBE/WBE Directory Search
The Department of Administration's search of state-certified MBE and WBE firms by company name or product and service keywords, with a full directory download, for state and federally funded solicitations under RIGL 37-14.1.
Open the directory ↗Rhode Island DBE/ACDBE Directory Search
The separate search of DBE and ACDBE certified firms for USDOT-funded work; Rhode Island keeps this directory distinct from its state MBE/WBE program.
Open the directory ↗New England Business Growth Collective (formerly the Greater New England MSDC)
The regional National Minority Supplier Development Council affiliate serving Rhode Island. Corporate buyers source certified Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) through its network.
New England Business Growth Collective (formerly … ↗Federal set-aside firms in Rhode Island
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 Rhode Island supplier toward a diverse spend goal or a subcontracting plan:
- Confirm the record is active, not expired, in the issuing directory above.
- Check the certification type matches what your program counts. MBE, DBE, WOSB, and CBE are not interchangeable.
- Keep a dated screenshot or export of the directory record for your compliance file.
More Rhode Island resources
- Rhode Island certification and contracting programs on SupplierDiversity.com.
- The national directories (NMSDC, WBENC, NGLCC, Disability:IN, NaVOBA) for suppliers certified outside Rhode Island.
- Every certifying body, what it certifies, and how to verify.