Get Certified with WBEC Pacific
Before You Begin
To expedite the efficient handling of your application, please read all of these instructions before launching the online form.
Looking to Certify?
Our monthly Why Certify? webinar is a fantastic opportunity to hear from our Director of Certification on the benefits of WBENC Certification through WBEC Pacific. Each session provides time for participants to ask questions pertaining to the process and their own business.
Want a Certification Refresher?
Leveraging Your Certification meets once a month to discuss ways to expand implementation of your WBENC Certification through WBEC Pacific. From networking events, speaking opportunities, exclusive RFPs, learning webinars, and more, the benefits to your WBENC Certification are nearly endless.
Get Certified
Women Business Owners and entrepreneurs get their companies certified to meet eligibility requirements for business and economic purposes.
New Certification
Questions? Visit our FAQs or email us at certification@wbec-pacific.org
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Determine Eligibility for Certification
- Is your company’s primary place of business in a U.S. state or territory?
- Is fifty-one percent (51%) or more of your company’s ownership and equity held and controlled by one or more women who are at least 18 years of age?
- Are the majority women owners US citizens or lawful permanent residents?
- Is management and daily operations controlled by one or more of the women owners?
- WBENC uses a two-part process to ensure that the applicant company meets the WBENC Standards.
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Compile All Necessary Documents
Review and gather all required documents as listed on WBENC’s website.
Our Certification Process is one of the most stringent application procedures for business certification and will require detailed information with supporting documents.
Some items on the application may not apply to you, but you may be required to provide documentation before you can proceed to the next section. Our recommendation is to prepare a blank page, write the words “Not Applicable”, and use it every time you are asked to submit a document that is not applicable.
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Complete Online Application and Pay the Non-refundable Application Fee
Our application is extremely stringent and requires a strong attention to detail to ensure there are no mistakes with processing your application. Follow the guidelines below to avoid your application being delayed.
- Register using the female owner’s email address. The owner’s complete e-mail address will be automatically assigned as the username for the application. Write down your username and password, as it will be needed once certification is granted to access your application record(s) and certification.
- You may complete the processing section in any order; however, ALL must be completed before you are able to sign and submit the application. The status bar at the top of the page will indicate what percentage of the application has been completed.
- To prevent loss of data or to exit your application before submitting, click Save Draft.
- Before the application can be submitted, the system will ask if the nonrefundable processing fee will be paid using a credit card or check. If you are sending a check by mail, your application will begin processing upon receipt of payment. Please make the check payable to Women’s Business Enterprise Council Pacific.
- Do not sign or submit your application until it has been reviewed for accuracy by the female owner or owners. Once the application is submitted, you can no longer make any edits on the online form.
Nonrefundable Application Fee:
- Revenue: <$1 million / year = $350 application fee.
- Revenue: $1 million – $4.99 million / year = $500 application fee.
- Revenue: $5 million – $9.99 million / year = $750 application fee.
- Revenue: $10 million – $49.99 million / year = $1,000 application fee.
- Revenue: >$50 million / year = $1,250 application fee.
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The WBEC Pacific Certification Team + Committee Receives and Reviews the Application
You will receive a confirmation email and application status updates. During this time, our Certification Team may reach out to you for incomplete or missing information. Please have your business owner and main person of contact whitelist these email addresses to ensure prompt email notifications:
Once approved, your application will move to our Certification Committee for review.
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A Site Visit is Arranged with the Business Owner
WBEC Pacific will schedule a site visit and an interview with the female owner or owners. Site visits and interviews are done online or in-person, depending on industry.
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The WBEC Pacific Certification Committee Makes a Final Determination
You will be contacted by WBEC Pacific with our final approval or denial of your application. If approved, you will receive your Certification in the mail.
Recertification
Questions? Visit our FAQs or email us at certification@wbec-pacific.org
Certification Lasts One Year
We recommend beginning the recertification process at least 90 days prior to your certification’s expiration date. You will receive a notification 120 days prior to your certification expiration date to remind you of the process.
- Log into WBENCLink 2.0 with your organization’s username and password.
- Select Renew/Apply for Certification on your dashboard under Key Actions.
- Answer the pre-qualifying questions to ensure minimum requirements for recertification are met.
- Complete the application processing page in any order. All sections must be completed before signing and submitting the application. At this time, all required documents will be uploaded to the server. Once submitted, edits to your application will not be permitted.
- You will be prompted for credit card or check payment for the nonrefundable application fee. If you choose to submit a check to WBEC Pacific, your application processing will not begin until your payment is received. Please make the check payable to Women’s Business Enterprise Council Pacific.
Tips for Certification
Questions? Visit our FAQs or email us at certification@wbec-pacific.org
Helpful Tips
- Review your legal and financial information to ensure that your documents support woman/women ownership and control.
- Register and complete your online profile. This application will become your company’s resume within our system once certification is granted. Please type in uppercase and lowercase letters and be as thorough as possible.
- Double check and only use lower case letters for the email address.
- Please use only the recommended methods of payment for your application fee (online payment within WBENCLINK 2.0 via credit card, or via check sent to Women’s Business Enterprise Council Pacific). Never disclose your payment information over the phone. When in doubt, please contact us.
- Have the owner(s) and main contact person add the following email addresses to their safe senders list:
- The owner or the main contact person will be made aware of the status of their application via notifications from wbenclink@wbenclink.org. Receiving these emails is critical to the process.
- For application and more information on applying for certification, visit the WBENC website, www.wbenc.org.