Fact Sheet Disadvantaged Business Enterprise An applicant for disadvantaged business enterprise (DBE) certification shall demonstrate that 51 percent of those who own, operate, and control the business enterprise are socially disadvantaged because the individuals have faced chronic, not fleeting, instances of prejudice or bias due to their identity as members of a group, as evidenced by the following: documentation proving that the individuals seeking socially disadvantaged status as members of a group hold themselves out as members of the group; documentation proving that the individuals seeking socially disadvantaged status have been isolated from the mainstream of American society uncommon to business persons who aren't socially disadvantaged; and documentation providing that the individuals seeking socially disadvantaged status have personally suffered social disadvantage through treatment they have experienced. An Applicant for DBE certification shall also demonstrate that 51 percent of the business' owners, operators, and controllers are economically disadvantaged due to diminished opportunity for competition in the open marketplace. Applicants shall also provide documentation on: the personal financial condition of the individuals seeking economically disadvantaged status; the financial condition of the business enterprise; and the applicant's lack of access to credit, capital, and the open market that is not common to business persons in general. To be eligible for certification consideration, you must submit a letter that demonstrates historic, economic, and social (education, employment, housing, banking, bonding, and contract bids) discrimination, and your letter must be signed and notarized in Washington, DC. In addition, you must submit your personal income tax return and your personal financial statement.