Spotlight on NWBOC

The National Women Business Owners Corporation (NWBOC) was created in 1995 with the stated goal of increasing competition for women owned businesses in both the private and public sector.

To be certified by NWBOC a firm must be in business for at least six months and have customers/clients, the woman (or women) business owner must own 51% of the firm and be a US Citizen or Legal Resident, she must also be active in the daily management and operations of the firm. Like the other 3^rd party certifiers we’ve spotlighted, NWBOC performs a site visit to verify that all information provided during the application process is accurate; assuring that a business is indeed owned and operated by an eligible woman or women.

Benefits of obtaining a NWBOC certification include being listed in their eProcurement MarketPlace and their internal procurement database for WBE-certified companies. NWBOC also provides a contact list of over a 1,000 private and public sector purchasing contacts. Certified companies also receive their quarterly news letter and the NWBOC logo, which can be added to a firm’s web site and marketing materials.

To make the certification process easier, NWBOC also offers an Application Kit for $39.95 (plus shipping). The kit is tailored towards the type of business entity your firm is (i.e. Partnership or Sole Proprietorship) and includes frequently asked questions and in-depth explanations about items that need to be included with your certification.

NWBOC is affiliated with Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) – a national bipartisan organization that advocates for women and minority businesses; National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) – a national organization for women entrepreneurs; Boardroom Bound, Inc.; Black Women Enterprise (BWE) – an outreach service that provides consulting, counseling, and training; National Women’s Business Council (NWBC) – a bipartisan federal advisory council; Center for Women Business Research (CWBR); and the World Association for Women Entrepreneurs (aka Le Femme de Chefs de Enterprise Mondiales) – a worldwide organization for women entrepreneurs.