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Qualifications

Anyone can say they’re Black-owned, but here they can prove it.In order to qualify for certification your business must be at least 51% Black-owned, be headquartered in the U.S. and have filed taxes in the past year.

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What It Takes To Get Certified

If your company is headquartered in the United States and is majority owned and operated by a Black person or persons, you qualify for this certification.

We simply request that you provide the proper documentation based on your business structure to help us verify your qualifications and ensure the accuracy of your statements.Our certification has three major components. Each section requires you to share certain information for us to better understand and ultimately verify your business as Black-Owned. Check out the necessary documents below.

Fewer than50%of diverse-owned businesses have a certification that communicates their identity.They are missing out on millions of dollars in opportunities and resources.The State of Supplier Diversity:
JAGGAER, 2021

What It Takes To Get Certified

Our certification requires specific and relevant documentation based on your business’ legal structure. We are mindful of the unique challenges facing Black business owners.That’s why we’ve streamlined our approach to ensure that the process isn’t unnecessarily aggressive, time consuming or redundant.
Proof of Ownership
We require documents such as tax returns, EIN and owner resume or LinkedIn profile that show legal documentation of you owning your business.
Proof of Control And Operation
We require documentation to show the validity of the business and how you as the owner have legal authority to operate and make decisions behalf of your business. This includes Business Licenses and State-Issued fillings, Articles of Incorporation Or Organization, Corporate Bylaws, Partnership Agreements and Board Minutes and Ledger. Most of these documents are required or provided by your Secretary of State Office, Department of Regulatory Affairs or Business Office during initial filing
Proof of Identity
We require a valid copy of Driver’s License, U.S. Passport or Greencard

Want to see all of our requirements in detail?

Review our guide to understand exactly what specific businesses should have to get certified.
Navigate to “https://certification.byblack.us/documents/guide.pdf”.Download Qualification Guide

Take Our Qualifications Questionnaire

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Our Process For Certifying You

Once your application is submitted, our team gets to work. Each application is reviewed by two specialists who each read the provided documents to carefully assess a business owner’s credibility for certification.

If each reviewer agrees on the accuracy of the information, they can usually certify a business within 30 to 45 business days.However, based on the documents provided and the breadth of information included for a submission, this timeline can vary. If business owners submit incomplete documents or inaccurate information, we will reach out to request additional documents from the business owner and assess the supplemental data that was shared. These follow ups can add extra time for our reviewers so please ensure you have submitted all pertinent documents for our team.

Realize You’re Not Ready To Get Certified?

Take the steps to earn your ByBlack certification with these outside resources.
Navigate to “https://usblackchambers.org/certification/”.External ResourcesNavigate to “mailto:support@byblack.us?subject=Questions%20Regarding%20ByBlack%20Certification”.Ask a Question

Want To Know More?

Learn about our certification requirements with our comprehensive list of articles and how-tos.

What is ByBlack’s Site Visit Process?

As a best practice, on-site visits play a vital part in ensuring the integrity of the certification offered by leading business supplier diversity certification agencies. ByBlack’s Platform provides a fully virtual experience that affords you the ability to answer our strategically aligned set of questions from the safety of your office and on your own time. In this step we will ask you about information regarding your business ownership, operation, and control that is complementary to the information presented in the certification application.

How do I maintain my Black business certification?:e%

Upon nearing the expiration of your certification, be attentive to email correspondence from the ByBlack team. They will provide details on the recertification process for your business. The U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. reserves the right to make unannounced visits to certified businesses and perform program examinations. These examinations aim to validate the accuracy of data and information submitted during the certification process.

How long does it take to get certified?

A certification application can be completed in as little as 30 minutes provided all business documents are readily available. After you submit your completed application and virtual site visit, you will receive progress notifications in your dedicated user dashboard created when you apply or via email. The review process can take up to 30 days.

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Have More Questions?

Send us an e-mail.
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