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SMALL DIVERSE BUSINESSES

The Bureau of Diversity, Inclusion & Small Business Opportunities (BDISBO) verifies self-certified Small Businesses that wish to participate as Minority, Woman, Veteran, Service Disabled Veteran, LGBT, and Disability-Owned Business Enterprises through the Small Diverse Businesses program. Eligible Small Business must hold certifications as diverse businesses with one of the Department’s approved third-party certification entities.

Follow the step-by-step process below to complete self-certification as a small business and verification as a small diverse business.

STEP 1 – SUPPLIER REGISTRATION

To register as a vendor visit the PA Supplier Portal and click on Suppler Registration. Not sure if your company is registered? Don't know your registration number? Call toll free: (877) 435-7363 (option 1), or email ra-psc_supplier_requests@pa.gov.

Proceed to Step 2 if you already have a PA Vendor Number.

STEP 2 – SMALL BUSINESS SELF-CERTIFICATION REGISTRATION

Small business self-certification, a two-year certification which requires biannual renewal, is a prerequisite for verification as a Small Diverse Business. Visit smallbusiness.pa.gov for program guidelines, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), and step-by-step instructions for the self-certification process.

A business must meet the following requirements to self-certify as a small business. The business:

  1. Must be a for-profit, United States business.
  2. Must be independently owned
  3. May not be dominant in its field of operations
  4. May not employ more than 100 full-time equivalent employees.
  5. May not exceed three-year average gross revenues of $38.5 Million, regardless of business type (effective November 1, 2018).

Businesses will be required to upload the first page of the company's three most recent federal tax returns which are required to verify annual gross revenues. You may redact your federal tax identification number, if desired. Acceptable file formats for tax upload include Portable Document Format (PDF) and Joint Photographic Group (JPG).

  • Federal form 1120, the U.S. Corporation Income Tax Return
  • Federal form 1120S, U.S. Income Tax Return for an S Corporation
  • Federal form 1065, the U.S. Return of Partnership Income
  • Federal form 1040 Schedule C, Profit or Loss from Business, Sole Proprietorship

To access the small business application and begin the certification process:

  1. Go to the PA Supplier Portal and click "Supplier Logon".
  2. Enter your user name and password. TIP: If you do not know your login information, select “Forgot your password” or “Forgot Your UserID” (preferred) or contact the Supplier Service Center at RA-PSCSRMPORTAL@pa.gov or (877) 435-7363, option 1.
  3. Click Bidder Tab > Enterprise Applications > Small & Small Diverse Business Program Application. TIP: View our application guide for basic troubleshooting for most common issues (e.g. the Enterprise Applications portal page appears blank), visit the PA Supplier Portal Support page, or contact the Supplier Service Center at RA-PSCSRMPORTAL@pa.gov or (877) 435-7363, option 1.

STEP 3 – SMALL DIVERSE BUSINESS VERIFICATION

Once successfully registering as a small business, the applicant will be offered the opportunity to verify as a Small Diverse Business. The applicant may continue to the verification section of the application at this point, Steps 6 – 7, by selecting the "Verify as an SDB" button at the bottom of Step 5 of the self-certification application, or the applicant may return at a later time to continue to the online verification.

The Department of General Services accepts approved third-party certifications from any of the following entities:

*These are disadvantaged business certifications which are accepted for Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) and Woman Business Enterprise (WBE) only. Additional proof of ethnicity and/or gender must be submitted at time of verification.

Once BDISBO has received and verified all information, the applicant business will be included in the online database located at www.dgs.internet.state.pa.us/suppliersearch as a Small Business and, if applicable, Small Diverse Business.

PROGRAM GUIDELINES

RESOURCES