Verify Enhanced Digital Certification

The EDC certification can be verified by:

1. Scanning the QR Code on the certificate; or,
2. Via a login to the SupplierGATEWAY platform; or,
3. Electronically through API connections for corporations and organizations who choose to incorporate the certification verification process into their information technology environment.

The EDC process utilizes advanced technology to validate and issue a certificate in as little as 15 minutes, which typically takes weeks or months to complete with the other traditional programs. Besides, EDC costs much less than the other certifications ($25/year, or $70/3 years).

The requirements vary based on the country in which the EDC certification is being sought.

Generally speaking the EDC for any given country requires applicants to be:

• A Citizenship or Permanent Legal Residence in the country for which the EDC is sough
• At least 51% ownership management and control of the entity
• Inclusion in any of the available diversity subgroups that are applicable in that country.  For example:
  • United States – Minority, Woman, Veteran, Disability, LGBTQ
  • Kenya – Woman Owned, Disability Owned, Young Person Owned
  • Nigeria – Woman owned, Disability Owned
  • United Kingdom – Minority, Woman, Veteran, Disability, LGBTQ, Neurodiverse

Yes. Any supplier that has active, validated non-EDC certifications in their profile (such as NMSDC, WBENC, NGLCC, Disability:IN etc.) will also have those certifications displayed in the digital certification verification.

The EDC process recognizes all types of diverse businesses, including independent contractors and sole proprietors.

The SupplierGATEWAY Enhanced Digital Certification (EDC) complies with the form, structure and documentation requirements required by agencies such as the Small Business Administration (SBA), Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) and others, for Small Business Self Certification in the following categories.

• Small
• Small Disadvantaged
• Women Owned Small
• Veteran Owned Small
• Service Disabled
• Veteran Owned Small
• Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business

• Small business self-certification attestations as part of the EDC process include certifications that the company meets all of the requirements in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 19.7, FAR 52.219-8, and FAR Part 819, as well as 13 C.F.R. sections 121, 124, 125, 126, and 127 (as applicable).

• Each Company completing the EDC process is required to complete an SBA size determination to identify their appropriate SBA size in accordance with the latest SBA NAICS size standards.  During this process any other applicable NAICS codes for which the business is also considered small is determined digitally.

• Each EDC certification is digitally signed to ensure that submitters understand that the US Government’s Small Business size determination is based on the US Small Business Administration guidelines and 13-C.F.R.-121, and that under 15 U.S.C. § 645(d), any concern or person who misrepresents its size or socioeconomic status shall be (1) punished by a fine, imprisonment, or both; (2) subject to administrative remedies; and (3) ineligible for participation in programs conducted under the authority of the Small Business Act.

SupplierGATEWAY has created 3 efficient ways for the SBA Self-Certification information to be accessed and used for maximum efficiency in Government reporting processes.

1.  Self-certifications are available online from supplier profiles in the SupplierGATEWAY system, making it easy to retrieve the exact documents you need to satisfy an audit request.  SupplierGATEWAY even includes audit file access for audit agencies, so you can create a digital folder to provide to your audit agency and reduce the impact to the environment. 
2. Programs that prefer to fully automate compliance reporting can take advantage of REST API access to self-certification data, making it even easier to dynamically verify each PO or even PO line item as reports are being prepared.  This makes it possible to achieve a high level of compliance in Small Business reporting with minimal effort and an assurance that reported small business spend can be backed up with auditable reliable data.
3. Self-certification documents are available via the QR code scan process for users that are using the SupplierGATEWAY Mobile App.