banner image

Woman-owned Businesses

The State of Wisconsin is committed to providing woman-owned businesses with a credible certification that validates their business ownership. For purposes of State of Wisconsin contracting, women are not considered minorities. Minority Business Enterprise Certification is based on ethnicity criteria.WBE certification requires that the business is at a minimum 51% owned, managed and controlled by a woman or women applicant(s).

Woman-Owned Business (WBE) Pre-Certification Self Assessment
This site helps women business owners prepare to seek certification as a woman-owned business in Wisconsin.

Wisconsin Woman-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE) Certification
This site provides the application to become certified as a woman-owned business.

U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Women's Business Ownership
The Office of Women's Business Ownership's mission is to establish and oversee a network of Women's Business Centers (WBCs) throughout the United States and its territories. Through the management and technical assistance provided by the WBCs, entrepreneurs, especially women who are economically or socially disadvantaged, are offered comprehensive training and counseling on a vast array of topics in many languages to help them start and grow their own businesses.

Wisconsin Women's Business Initiative Corporation
WWBIC's mission is to promote economic development through microenterprise by providing access to capital including direct lending, one-on-one individualized business assistance, business education, and asset building financial awareness education programming, with an emphasis on women, people of color, and people of lower wealth and incomes.

Women's Entrepreneurship in Green Industries Fact Sheet
This website explains the increased the demand for green products and services and the opportunities this opens for women entrepreneurs.

Contracting with the Federal Government
Step by step guide to contracting with the federal government. Woman-owned business certification assists with securing government contracts.