Small, Minority & Disadvantaged Business
Maryland's Official Certification Agency
The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) is Maryland's official certification agency for the Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) Program, the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program, the Airport Concessions Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) Program, and Small Business Enterprise (SBE) Program. We ensure only bona fide MBE/DBE/ACDBE/SBE firms participate in our program through our comprehensive certification program. Certified firms appear in MDOT's Online Directory of Certified Firms.
Please visit the "Certifications and Forms" page for information on the certification programs and required documentation. Please contact the OMBE office for assistance regarding the certification programs.
Our Mission
The Maryland Department of Transportation is a customer-driven leader that delivers safe, sustainable, intelligent, exceptional, and inclusive transportation solutions in order to connect our customers to life’s opportunities.
Important Messages
**ATTENTION!! ONLINE DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS ENTERPRISE (DBE) SURVEY AND STAKEHOLDER PUBLIC LISTENING SESSIONS**
Pursuant to federal regulation 49 C.F.R. Part 23, the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) is seeking comments on the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program and goals for State Highway Administration (SHA) & Metropolitan Planning Organizations. In establishing DBE Program Overall goals, federal regulations require consultation with stakeholders, which include, without limitation, minority and women’s business groups, community organizations, and other officials or organizations that may have information concerning the availability of disadvantaged businesses, the effects of discrimination on opportunities for small, minority and disadvantaged firms, and MDOT’s and SHA’s efforts to increase DBE participation. To comply with this requirement, we are seeking stakeholder input through a survey and public meetings called Listening Sessions.
Your input is important and may be used to enhance operations of the DBE Program at MDOT and SHA. Please fill out the Survey and register to participate in one of our four Public Listening Sessions where you can provide “virtual” feedback.
The online survey must be completed by June 28, 2024 and can be accessed here
The Public Listening Sessions are scheduled as follows:
Subcontractors Only:
June 3, 2024 from 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. (Register here)
June 3, 2024 from 1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m. (Register here)
Prime Contractors Only:
June 5, 2024 from 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. (Register here)
June 5, 2024 from 1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m. (Register here)
If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Small and Minority Business Policy at mdotmbeoutreach@mdot.maryland.gov or 410-865-1298.
Economic Assistance to Mid-Atlantic Small Businesses Affected by the Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse
Mid-Atlantic small businesses affected by the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse on March 26, 2024 may apply for low-interest, long-term Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs). For additional information and to access the the loan application click here. The filing deadline to return economic injury applications is December 30, 2024.
For more information or further assistance, contact SBA Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email
disastercustomerservice@sba.gov For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
Port of Baltimore Emergency Business Assistance Program
Funding & Incentives Port of Baltimore Emergency Business Assistance Program (maryland.gov).
The application portal will open April 22, 2024 through May 6, 2024 or until grant funds are fully obligated, whichever comes first.
Grants of up to $100,000 per business may be awarded to offset the loss of revenue or increased costs resulting from the reduced operations at the Port of Baltimore.
DISPARITY STUDY
The State of Maryland is currently conducting a Disparity Study. For more information, please visit
State of Maryland Disparity Study (stateofmddisparitystudy.com).
WARNING - SPAM EMAIL
It has come to our attention that a phishing email has been directed to firms in the active Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) Directory of Certified Firms. The email was not generated by MDOT. Any emails being sent by the software system MDOT utilizes for certification applications and annual review monitoring will always com from MarylandMDBE@mdbecert.com.
Please do not click on any links or open email attachments from suspicious sites. A copy of the contents of the phishing email is shown below for your information:
New Tool for Maryland Small Business Employers
Maryland small business owners can now offer their employees access to a savings plan for emergencies and retirement that is safe and trustworthy. MARYLAND$AVES was created by the State of Maryland and launched in the fall of 2022. Employers register for free and pay no ongoing fees for offering the WorkLife Savings account to their employees. In fact, the
Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation will waive the $300 annual report filing fee for every qualified employers that enrolls in the program. Employees control the WorkLife Savings account themselves. They contribute through payroll deductions and decide how much to save and when to withdraw from their savings. Learn more about this flexible and secure employee savings program.
Maryland$aves
New Personal Net Worth as of January 1, 2024
As of January 1, 2024 the Personal Net Worth cap applied to the Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) program increased from $1,995,008 to $2,073,412. For more information, please click the link. here.
MDOT Certified Firms: Beware of Spam Email
** ATTENTION** If you receive an email with the subject line “Maryland DOT MBE/DBE/ACDBE/SBE Certified & Approved Firms {SECURED} Notice” with a link please ignore. This is SPAM and has been reported to MDOT’s IT Department. Do Not Click on any links or send any information to a dropbox and delete the message. If you ever question the validity of any email do not hesitate to contact the Office of Minority Business Enterprise (OMBE).
Email: mbe@mdot.maryland.gov
Phone: 410-865-1269
2024 MBE/DBE/ACDBE/SBE Certification Application Assistance Webinar Schedule
The MBE/DBE/ACDBE/SBE Certification Application Assistance Webinar dates for 2024 have been posted. Registration is now open! 2024 MBE/DBE/ACDBE AAW Schedule
NEW ONLINE CERTIFICATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (CMS)
The Maryland Department of Transportation, Office of Minority Business Enterprise is pleased to announce the implementation of a new Certification Management System (CMS), accessed through a cloud-based web portal. On-line Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), Disadvantage Business Enterprise (DBE), Airport Concession Disadvantage Business Enterprise (ACDBE) and Small Business Enterprise (SBE) applications for new certifications and Annual Reviews will be processed through this new system.
Key features include the following:
- Online applications for new certifications and annual reviews
- Enhanced Online Directory with key-word search capabilities
- Electronic submission of changes to the business firm profile
- Online training on how to use the system for certification and annual review
- Ability to submit online technical support ticket 24/7 Click Here - Online Support
OMBE staff can be contacted directly at 410-865-1269 or by email at
MBE@mdot.maryland.gov for general inquires or
mbereview@mdot.maryland.gov for Annual Review specific inquiries.
New Tax Update as of January 6, 2022
CHANGE IN 3-YEAR MEASURE to 5-YEAR MEASURE for NAICS CODE SIZE CALCULATIONS
The Small Business Administration (SBA) amended the regulation by which SBA establishes how a business meets size standards for a particular NAICS code. Effective January 6, 2022, the period has been changed from 3 years to 5 years.
The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) DBE size cap found at 49 C.F.R. 26.65(b) is still subject to the 3-year gross receipts average.
SBA is Still Accepting Economic Injury Disaster Loan Applications
For more information including application instructions visit the SBA's Coronavirus (COVID-19): Small Business Guidance & Loan Resource Webpage
MDOT Triennial DBE Goals
| SHA FFYs 2023-2024 |
MAA DBE FFYs 2020-2022 |
MAA ACDBE FFYs 2024-2026 (Proposed) |
MAA ACDBE FFYs 2021-2023 |
MTA FFYs 2023-2025 |
MDOT- TSO Planning FFYs 2022-2024 |
|
Overall 26.39%
|
Overall 27.5%
|
Non-Car Rental Overall 30.66%
|
Car Rental Overall 3.56%
|
Overall 30.0%
|
Overall 26.2 %
|
|
Race Conscious 22.90%
|
Race Conscious 26.11%
|
Race Conscious 29%
|
Race Conscious 3.35%
|
Race Conscious 26.98%
|
Race Conscious 19.2%
|
|
Race Neutral 3.49%
|
Race Neutral 1.39%
|
Race Neutral 1.66%
|
Race Neutral 0.21%
|
Race Neutral 3.02%
|
Race Neutral 7.0%
|
MDOT-Planning has proposed the following DBE Goal for FFYs 2022-2024 for the Unified Planning Work Programs (UPWPs) of each Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), USDOT funded projects.
MDOT-SHA is proposing the following DBE Goal for FFYs 2022-2024. If there are any questions, please contact the MBE Office at mdotmbeoutreach@mdot.maryland.gov and/or call 410-865-1298.
More Information
Welcome to MDOT Office of Minority Business Enterprise
Certification Information