The Greater Women’s Business Council (GWBC®) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit development organization that provides national certification for women-owned businesses in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. As a regional partner of Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), we educate, support and empower women business owners and represent the fastest-growing number of women-owned businesses in the country.

GWBC® is at the forefront of redefining women's business enterprises (WBEs). An increasing focus on supply chain means major corporations view our WBEs as innovative, flexible and competitive solutions. The number of women-owned businesses is rising to reflect an increasingly diverse consumer base of women making most buying decisions for themselves, their family and their business.

GWBC®'s region has the fastest-growing number of women-owned businesses in the country. To foster business growth, the Greater Women's Business Council provides education, resources, access to funding, innovative networking opportunities and connections with large corporations looking to meet supplier goals in Georgia and the Carolinas.

The Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) provides the most widely recognized and respected certification in the United States for Women's Business Enterprises (WBE). Through the Greater Women's Business Council (GWBC®), a regional partner organization of the WBENC, your business can apply for this certification, which major corporations, non-profit organizations and many local, state and federal government agencies recognize and accept.

WBENC (The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council) is the largest certifier of women owned businesses nationwide, with hundreds of corporations and government agencies accepting the certificate as a pathway to their supplier programs.

A WBENC-certified WBE is a business that has gone through a rigorous and stringent certification process to confirm the business is 51%+ owned, managed and controlled by a woman or women.

Many organizations, states and government agencies will offer to certify you as a WBE, but you should know that this often is not transferable to other organizations, states, or even corporations within that state. Before seeking any certification, research the supplier inclusion program of your target clients to see what specific certificate they will accept. The WBENC WBE is the most widely accepted nationwide.

Yes! Your certification application will be processed by your local territory, also called an RPO - a WBENC Regional Partnership Organization. GWBC® serves businesses headquartered in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. Regardless of which RPO processes your application, you are welcome to network and get involved in any territory that you do business and if you ever move, we will simply transfer your active certification to your new local RPO.

A state certification, in most cases, is only good for doing business with that state’s government agencies. WBENC certification is primarily for companies that are targeting major corporations as clients; however, WBENC certification is also recognized by some federal and local governments.

Please read through the Standards and Procedures, starting on page 9, for eligibility by legal structure. The only way a business can be denied is if evidence is found that the business does not meet one or more of the eligibility clauses.

There are no size or length-of-time in business requirements to apply for or obtain WBENC certification. A business must be established and incorporated, however you are not required to have clients or revenue yet.

A woman and a man can own the company jointly; however, the woman (or women):

• Must be the majority owner (at least 51% ownership) as defined by the legal documents (operating agreement and/or aggregate stocks) and financial
  documents (tax returns)
• Must demonstrate that she has ultimate management and control of the company independent of the male co-owner
• Must demonstrate the expertise to run the business in the absence of any other male owner or manager
• Must hold the highest defined office as outlined in the bylaws or operating agreement (CEO, President, Managing Member, etc.)

The processing fee is based on annual gross revenue as reported on Federal Taxes and is divided into five (5) tiers. Please identify which range your company’s revenues fall within to identify the required fee.

This is an annual application fee only for new certification and recertification. All application fees are non-refundable.

• Under $1 Million                       $350
• $1 Million to $5 Million             $500
• $5 Million to $10 Million           $750
• $10 Million to $50 Million         $1,000
• $50 Million and above              $1,250

No, once documents have been received, the fee is non-refundable. This fee does not guarantee certification, but guarantees a fair and timely review, as significant hours are spent reviewing each application.

The entire certification process is about 3-4 months from the time that GWBC® receives your application, however this may depend on the complexity of your business and your response time to questions. Please review the process section of the main certification page for a clear breakdown of what to expect.

No, all applications are reviewed in the order that they are received.

The owner and the person listed as the Company contact will receive automated e-mails informing them when each step of the process has been completed. Submitting a question in your application is the best method of communication to learn the status of your application as our certification managers are in the WBENCLink System daily, Monday - Friday , 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. EST. 

WBENC certification is an important marketing tool for expanding your company's visibility and access to decision-makers in supplier inclusion and procurement offices. Many corporations require that women-owned business become WBENC certified before providing access to their supplier programs. Certified WBEs are entitled to many valuable benefits that can contribute to the success of your business.

• Exclusive listing in WBENCLink, an internet database that is accessed by hundreds of corporations throughout the United States
• Access to a directory of corporations accepting WBENC certification
• Professional WBENC seal to use on your letterhead, business cards, email signature, website and other marketing materials
• Participation in networking events, matchmaker meetings and trade shows with other WBEs and corporate and government buyers (local and national).
• Membership in the local Forum, which advocates on behalf of WBEs and facilitates corporate business opportunities.
• WBENC also offers other opportunities to network and exclusive educational resources for WBEs:
  • Scholarships for executive management programs, including the TUCK/WBENC Executive Management Program and the Dorothy B. Brothers Scholarship
  • Network at the nation's largest conference for WBEs, the WBENC National Conference

Click here to review the WBENC Certification Process and Application.

Pay online by credit card or mail the non-refundable processing fee, payable to GWBC®, to the address below. Click here for WBENC Certification Pricing. *Revenues based on most recent year reported tax returns and/or financial statements.

Mailing Address:
Greater Women’s Business Council
600 Peachtree St. NE, Suite 440
Atlanta, GA 30308

No. There are no size or length-of-time in business requirements to apply for or obtain WBENC certification.

No. Once documents have been received, the application fee is non-refundable. The "non-refundable policy" applies to applications that are accepted and/or denied, as well as applications that were not completed or withdrawn prior to final determination.

The processing time is generally 90 days from the date all documentation has been received by the Regional Partner Organization (RPO) - in this case, GWBC®.

•  Annual recertification is required to maintain the certificate.
• Your annual expiration date will never change whether you apply late or early, so always apply early!
• You can recertify up to 120 days before you expire.
• Certification fees remain the same each year.
• Site visits are conducted generally every 3 years.
• Businesses that let their certification lapse for 6 months or more must reapply as a new applicant.

WBENC requests for documentation:

• A renewed Sworn Affidavit
• WBENCLink2.0 User Agreement
• Updated financial information, including most recent year’s tax return, balance sheet, and profit loss statement
• Board meeting minutes and W-2s (if applicable)
• Any additional documents are only required if there have been changes such as ownership, lease, loan agreements, managers, etc.

Yes. The processing fee for recertification uses the same fee schedule as for certification. Please consult fee chart in the Basics section of the FAQs.

No. Recertification is not automatic. The owner is sent courtesy reminders starting 120 days prior to the expiration date of the company’s certification, however, WBENC does not guarantee receipt of the reminder email and recommends you mark your calendar as a reminder to begin the process at least 90 days prior to your expiration date.