Thank you for your interest in registering for certification as a Minority/Woman Business Enterprise (MWBE) with the City of Asheville. The City has an Asheville Business Inclusion (ABI) Contracting Policy that directs us to make sure more MWBEs have the chance to participate as providers of goods and services to the City. As a certified MWBE, you will have the chance to help your business grow through working with the City.
Please review the application and required documentation carefully. You will need to register as a vendor before completing the MWBE Certification application. Please note that non-profits cannot be certified as MWBE’s.
Vendor registration can be found on the:
Then proceed with the regular MWBE application form:
MWBE Certification Application
If you are already certified through North Carolina’s Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUB) office:
MWBE Certification Application – Already HUB-Certified
Make sure to have your driver’s license or state-issued identification card and any applicable license or permits ready to upload in the form (you’ll find more details about each of these in the forms).
Be prepared to complete the certification form in one session as it does not have an option to save your information and return to it later. Depending on your answers and situation, the form could take 15 minutes to an hour for you to complete. Please note that the certification process may take longer if there are discrepancies or incorrect information. Please contact abi@ashevillenc.gov if you need help completing the form or have any questions.
For extra assistance, we’ve created some videos on the process which you can watch below. Call for more information if you need extra help completing your form.
UPDATE ON VIDEOS: At this time, the Business Inclusion Office is not certifying businesses as SBEs, or Small Business Enterprises. This is because of some steps we need to take that will likely take some time, although we are working on them. These videos make reference to applying for MWBE and SBE certification at the same time. The information about MWBE certification is still accurate, but please keep in mind that if you going to apply for MWBE certification, you do not need to provide any financial documentation as that only applies to the SBE certification. MWBEs can apply for certification regardless of how much money they make per year.
***Part 2, How to Register as a Vendor, has been removed as a different system called Vendor Self Service is now in place and the video was no longer current. Please visit the Vendor Registry on the Purchasing page to learn more.***
You can read the City of Asheville Business Inclusion Contracting Policy here.
Contact Information
Asheville Business Inclusion Office
828-259-8050