DOBE Certification for Professional Services Companies

For businesses that are at least 51% owned by individuals with disabilities.

Professional services is the fastest path to contracting for many diverse businesses. Here's why certification matters:

Low Barriers to Entry: Unlike manufacturing or construction, professional services require expertise rather than equipment or facilities.

High Demand: Every organization needs professional services - consulting, staffing, legal, accounting, marketing.

GSA Schedule Access: Professional services are well-suited for GSA Schedule contracts, opening federal opportunities.

Corporate Spending: Fortune 500 companies spend billions annually on professional services with supplier diversity goals.

Subcontracting Opportunities: Large consulting firms (Big 4, Accenture, etc.) actively seek diverse subcontractors.

Professional services certifications can unlock opportunities in virtually every industry vertical.

Must be at least 51% owned by individuals with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits major life activities.

Disability:IN publishes three baseline requirements, and its National Certification Committee verifies each one against your documents.

The published standard

• At least 51% owned, operated, managed, and controlled by a person (or persons) with a disability
• For-profit business
• Headquartered in the country in which it applies for certification; U.S. applicants document U.S. citizenship or permanent residency for the qualifying owner

Ownership: the 51% rule

• The owner(s) with a disability must hold at least 51% of the equity, documented through stock certificates, a stock transfer ledger, or the operating agreement
• Ownership must be genuine equity, not a nominal arrangement built to qualify; voting agreements, stock options, warrants, and buy/sell agreements are reviewed for provisions that undercut the 51%
• Multi-owner businesses qualify as long as the disability-identified owner(s) hold 51%+ combined

Control: management and operations

• The disability-identified owner must actually run the business: day-to-day operations and long-term strategic decisions
• Governing documents (bylaws, operating agreement, board minutes) must show that management authority sits with the disability-identified owner, not with non-disabled co-owners or outside managers through side agreements

Documenting disability status Disability:IN requires one form of disability documentation per qualifying owner. Any one of the following satisfies it:

• Records from a licensed, registered, or certified vocational rehabilitation specialist (state or private)
• An Individualized Education Program (IEP), for an owner with a learning disability
• Documentation from a federal, state, D.C., or U.S. territory agency that issues disability benefits
• The Disability:IN Physician's Form completed by a licensed medical professional

Service-disabled veteran owners applying as SDV-DOBE submit a DD-214 plus their VA Disability Ratings Letter instead. Visible and non-visible disabilities both qualify; the IEP route shows the standard reaches learning disabilities that many owners assume don't count.

Step 1: Pick the right designation Disability:IN issues three: DOBE (owner with a disability), V-DOBE (veteran owner with a disability), and SDV-DOBE (owner whose disability is service-connected). The designation determines which documents you submit, so settle this before opening the application.

Step 2: Check whether you qualify for a fast track Firms holding a current WBENC or NGLCC certification apply through the Disability:IN Certification Hub with a reduced document set; Disability:IN says those determinations typically take 30 days. Businesses verified through SBA VetCert apply for SDV-DOBE with their DD-214, VA Disability Ratings Letter, and SBA VetCert letter plus standard business documentation. NaVOBA-certified firms can opt in to the program as an SDV-DOBE, with renewals handled through NaVOBA.

Step 3: Download the certification checklist and gather documents Disability:IN publishes a certification checklist at disabilityin.org listing every required document by business structure. First-time applicants need formation and governance documents, proof of ownership, three years of signed federal tax returns, current financial statements, payroll records, and one form of disability documentation per qualifying owner (vocational rehabilitation records, an IEP, disability-benefits agency documentation, or the Disability:IN Physician's Form).

Step 4: Apply through the Certification Hub and pay the $300 fee Applications run through Disability:IN's Certification Hub at supplierhub.disabilityin.org. The $300 non-refundable processing fee is due by credit or debit card at submission. Be consistent; reviewers compare application answers against governing documents.

Step 5: National Certification Committee review The committee reviews the file and reserves the right to request additional documents if disability ownership, management, and control are not adequately established. Respond within any stated deadline to keep your file moving.

Step 6: Certification decision Once approved, certification is valid for three years. You can use the DOBE mark in your marketing and bid submissions, and corporate procurement teams can find you through Disability:IN's directory of certified suppliers.

Federal Opportunities

Professional services are needed across all federal agencies:

• GSA Professional Services Schedule: Gateway to government-wide opportunities
• Agency-Specific BPAs: Blanket Purchase Agreements for ongoing needs
• Staff Augmentation: IT staffing, administrative support, technical assistance
• Consulting: Management consulting, strategy, program evaluation

Key Contract Vehicles

• GSA MAS (Multiple Award Schedule)
• OASIS (complex professional services)
• Alliant 2 (IT services)
• Agency-specific IDIQs

8(a) Advantage: Professional services are ideal for 8(a) sole-source contracts up to $4.5M (or $7M for manufacturing).