Stronger Supplier Credibility – EDC certification verifies majority ownership for inclusive procurement programs, tax ID, and other critical business details, making your business more attractive to buyers.

Easier Access to Opportunities – Many large organizations and government agencies require certified supplier diversity status. EDC certification ensures your eligibility for supplier diversity programs.

Risk Mitigation & Compliance – EDC includes screenings such as OFAC, EPLS, IRS TIN/Name matching, and OIG/Sanctions checks, reducing compliance risks and ensuring regulatory adherence.  Having these screenings done in advance makes your business look prepared, and your onboarding process will be more straightforward for you and the buyer.

Fast & Cost-Effective Certification – Unlike traditional certifications, EDC provides a streamlined and low-cost verification process, which buying organizations can also sponsor.

Seamless Integration – EDC certification can be incorporated directly into the SupplierGateway Onboarding Platform, simplifying the process of doing business with major corporations.

Global Recognition – The certification process follows strict verification protocols and is recognized across various industries and countries.

By obtaining EDC certification, your business gains a competitive edge, increased visibility, and trust within responsible sourcing programs while ensuring compliance with key regulatory requirements.

The application takes roughly 17 minutes, and you’re normally certified in less than 2 days.

SupplierGateway’s Enhanced Digital Certification™ makes it easy to get certified by being the most affordable and inclusive diversity certification on the market. 

Compare this to other certifications. The traditional certification process can cost thousands and take months to complete for a single category.

SupplierGateway’s Enhanced Digital Certification (EDC) process includes a built-in small business size determination that adheres to the standards established by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

Specifically:

1. Size Determination Methodology
   SupplierGateway utilizes the SBA’s Table of Small Business Size Standards as published in 13 CFR §121 and updated by the SBA Office of Size Standards. Businesses are evaluated based on their self-reported average annual receipts or number of employees, as applicable to their assigned North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code(s). This method reflects the SBA’s criteria for determining small business eligibility.
2. NAICS Code Validation
   During the certification process, businesses are required to select or confirm the primary NAICS code that best represents their operations. The EDC platform ensures that the selected NAICS code corresponds with the relevant SBA size standard, and applicants are guided to ensure accurate code selection.
3. Documented Evidence of Size Status
   The outcome of this process is digitally documented within the certification record, including the selected NAICS code, applicable size standard, and the applicant’s corresponding size data. This record serves as documented evidence of a size determination consistent with SBA requirements.
4. Standards Compliance
   The Enhanced Digital Certification process adheres to SBA guidelines for both self-certification and third-party validation of small business status, providing auditable documentation that clients may rely upon for internal compliance, supplier diversity programs, and federal or state-level reporting obligations.

This method ensures that SupplierGateway’s small business classifications meet the SBA’s requirements for size determination and NAICS applicability, supporting supplier diversity goals and enabling compliance with federal, state, and local documentation standards.

A supplier diversity certification attests to the diverse status of the owners and operators of your business. A diverse supplier is a business of any size that is owned and operated by an individual or group of people that is part of a traditionally underrepresented or underserved group, and a supplier diversity certification is a statement made by a third-party about the diverse ownership of your business.

Most corporate supplier diversity initiatives require a third-party supplier diversity certification in order to count any spending or activities done with a diverse business.

Documentation requirements will vary from country to country. for the US, we accept the following documents:

For a Sole Proprietorship, any one of the following documents is required as applies to your organization:

• Schedule C of owner’s tax return (most recent)
• Fictitious Business Name Statement (if a DBA is being used)
• IRS Form SS4 (if in business less than a year)
• IRS LTR 147C – EIN Verification Letter (if in business less than a year)
• Active business license showing the owner’s name or DBA

For a Limited Liability Company (LLC), any one of the following documents is required as applies to your organization:

• Articles of Organization/Certificate of Formation
• Operating Agreement (fully executed)
• Certificate of Filing (actual form, not the certificate page)
• Initial Resolutions (fully executed)
• Statement of Information
• IRS SS4 (Sole Member only)
• Diversity Certification from NMSDC, WBENC, NGLCC, USBLN, NaVOBA or NVBDC

For an S-Corporation, any one of the following documents is required as applies to your organization:

• Articles of Incorporation with the stock information included
• Form 1120 of corporation tax returns (most recent)
• Active diversity certification from NMSDC, WBENC, NGLCC, USBLN, NaVOBA or NVBDC

For a C-Corporation, any one of the following documents is required as applies to your organization:

• Stock Ownership documents
• Liquor License applications
• Financial contributions statement
• Contract agreements (small businesses without share certificates)
• Active diversity certification from NMSDC, WBENC, NGLCC, USBLN, NaVOBA or NVBDC

No. Certification is a completely digital application process. There are no site visits. That means your application will take as little as 15 minutes to complete, and your business is certified within 72 hours.

Get the supplier diversity certification preferred by government agencies and the world’s leading companies like Microsoft and Amazon.

EDC certification is affordable.

Get certified for as little as $25/year.

Save time by certifying your business for up to three years for only $70.

EDC is more than just ownership certification.

EDC also verifies all business information and conducts screening and risk evaluations. We include sanctions checks, Excluded Party List System (EPLS) checks, and more.