U.S. DOT Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) & Airport Concessionaire Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) Program

DBE/ACDBE Directory Search

DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS ENTERPRISE (DBE) CERTIFICATION - Pursuant to 49 CFR 26.5, socially and economically disadvantaged individual means any individual who is a citizen (or lawfully admitted permanent resident) of the United States and who has been subjected to racial or ethnic prejudice or cultural bias within American society because of his or her identify as members of groups and without regard to his or her individual qualities. The social disadvantage must stem from circumstances beyond the individual's control.

  1. Any individual who a recipient finds to be a socially and economically disadvantaged individual on a case-by-case basis. An individual must demonstrate that he or she has held himself or herself out, as a member of a designated group if you require it.
  2. Any individual in the following groups, members of which are rebuttably presumed to be socially and economically disadvantaged:
Category Definitions
Black Americans Includes persons having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa.
Hispanic Americans Includes persons of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Dominican, Central or South American, or other Spanish or Portuguese culture or origin, regardless of race.
Native Americans Includes person who are enrolled members of a federally or State recognized Indian tribe, Alaska Native, or Native Hawaiians.
Asian-Pacific Americans Includes persons whose origins are from Japan, China, Taiwan, Korea, Burma (Myanmar), Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia (Kampuchea), Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Brunei, Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Trust Territories of the Pacific Islands (Republic of Palau), Republic of the Northern Marianas Islands, Samoa, Macao, Fiji, Tonga, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Nauru, Federated States of Micronesia, or Hong Kong.
Subcontinent Asian Americans Includes persons whose origins are from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maldives Islands, Nepal, or Sri Lanka.
Women Women
Other Disadvantaged Individuals Any additional group whose members are designated as socially and economically disadvantaged by the SBA, at such time as the SBA designation becomes effective.

Rhode Island based firms seeking certification as a DBE and/or ACDBE under the U.S. Department of Transportation's DBE program valid for projects and contracts with the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT), the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA), and the Rhode Island Airport Corporation (RIAC) must complete the submit the following certification documents. Do not place applications in binders or include any extraneous documents such as dividers, tabs, an index, etc., as these documents will only be discarded.

Forms and Applications:

Completed applications should be forwarded to:

Minority Business Enterprise Compliance Office

One Capitol Hill

Providence, Rhode Island 02908

Out of state firms that are currently certified as a DBE and/or ACDBE by their home state UCP may seek certification as a DBE and/or ACDBE in Rhode Island. U.S. Department of Transportation DBE certification is valid for projects and contracts with the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT), the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA), and the Rhode Island Airport Corporation (RIAC). Pursuant to 49 CFR 26.85(b), out of state DBE firms may request interstate certification by submitting the following forms.

Forms and Applications:

  • A copy of your home state UCP certification letter or certificate.
  • Copies of pertinent Rhode Island licenses, if operating in a licensed industry.

Completed applications should be forwarded to:

Minority Business Enterprise Compliance Office

One Capitol Hill

Providence, Rhode Island 02908

Other Forms: