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Business Certification Program
Welcome to the business certification service page where you’ll find all you need to know to become certified as a:
Small Business Enterprise;
Minority/Woman Owned Business Enterprise; and
Veteran/Disabled Veteran Owned Business Enterprise;
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning+ Owned Business Enterprise.
By obtaining one or more of these certifications, you may be eligible to participate in select set-aside or goal-based contracting initiatives offered by State agencies. Additionally, certification provides state-backed documentation of your business status, which can be beneficial in pursuing contracting opportunities at the local and federal level, as well as with the private sector.
Because Treasury is committed to broadening opportunities for Small, Minority, Women, Veteran, Disabled Veteran and LGBTQ+ Owned Business Enterprises, the $100 fee normally required to apply for certification has been waived indefinitely.
Once you obtain certification(s), your business contact information will be posted to a public database called Selective Assistance Vendor Information (SAVI). This is an upgraded search platform.** Use the email link on the site to let us know your thoughts on it.
*Taken from the New Jersey Administrative Code, Title 17
§ 17:13-2.1 Standards of eligibility for small businesses for goods and services and for State construction contracts
In order to be eligible as a small business, a business must satisfy all of the following criteria:
The business must be independently owned and operated, as evidenced by its management being responsible for both its daily and long term operation, and its management owning at least 51 percent interest in the business.
The business must be incorporated or registered to do business in the State and have its principal place of business in New Jersey, defined as such when either 51 percent or more of its employees work in New Jersey, as evidenced by the payment of New Jersey unemployment taxes, or 51 percent or more of its business activities take place in New Jersey, as evidenced by its payment of income or business taxes.
The business must be a sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company, or corporation with 100 or fewer employees in full-time positions (35 hours or more not including seasonal and part-time employees employed for less than 90 days, if seasonal and casual part-time employment are common to that industry, and consultants employed under other contract not related to the goods and services which are the subject of the specific contract for which the business wants to be eligible as a small business).
For goods and services contracts, the business must have gross revenues that do not exceed$ 12 million or the applicable Federal revenue standards established at 13 CFR 121.201, incorporated herein by reference, whichever is higher. For State construction contracts, the business must have gross revenues that do not exceed$ 3 million or the applicable annual revenue standards set forth in Federal regulation at 13 CFR 121.201, incorporated herein by reference, as may be adjusted periodically.
Gross revenues of a business which has been in business for three or more completed years means the revenues of the business over its last three completed tax years divided by three.
Gross revenues of a business which has been in business for less than three complete tax years means the revenues for the period the business has been in business divided by the number of weeks in business, multiplied by 52.
Gross revenues of a business which has been in business three or more complete tax years but has a short year as one of those years means the revenue for the short year and the two full years divided by the number of weeks in the short year and the two full years, multiplied by 52.
Eligibility is formalized by the Division's (Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services') registration and approval process.
Small businesses, for goods and services, will be registered in one of the following three categories:
Small businesses whose gross revenues do not exceed$ 500,000;
Small businesses whose gross revenues do not exceed$ 5 million; or
Small businesses whose gross revenues do not exceed$ 12 million or the applicable Federal revenue standards established at 13 CFR 121.201, incorporated herein by reference, whichever is higher.
Small businesses for State construction contracts will be registered in one of the following three categories:
Small businesses whose gross revenues do not exceed$ 3 million;
Small businesses whose gross revenues do not exceed 50 percent of the applicable annual revenue standards set forth in Federal regulation at 13 CFR 121.201, incorporated herein by reference, and as may be adjusted periodically; or
Small businesses whose gross revenues do not exceed the applicable annual revenue standards set forth in Federal regulation at 13 CFR 121.201, incorporated herein by reference, as may be adjusted periodically.
Small businesses properly registered in the category in (c)1 above will be eligible to participate in set-aside contracts and subcontracting programs available to businesses registered in the categories in (c)1, 2, and 3 above. Small businesses properly registered in the category in (c)2 above will be eligible to participate in set-side contracts and subcontracting programs available to businesses registered in the categories in (c)2 and 3 above. Small businesses properly registered in the category in (c)3 above will be eligible to participate in set-aside contracts and subcontracting programs available to businesses in the category in (c)3 above only.
Small businesses properly registered in the category in (d)1 above will be eligible to participate in set-aside contracts and subcontracting programs available to businesses registered in the categories in (d)1, 2, and 3 above. Small businesses properly registered only in the category in (d)2 above will be eligible to participate in set-aside contracts and subcontracting programs available to businesses registered in the categories in (d)2 and 3 above. Small businesses properly registered in the category in (d)3 above will be eligible to participate in set-aside contracts and subcontracting programs available to businesses registered only in the category in (d)3 above.
*Taken from the New Jersey Administrative Code, Title 17
§ 17:46-1.3 Standards of certification for minority businesses and women's businesses
A business may be eligible to be certified as a minority business, a women's business, or both.
In order to be eligible as a minority business, a business must be a sole proprietorship, partnership, joint venture, corporation, or other business entity authorized under the laws of the United States, which is at least 51 percent owned, operated, and controlled by persons who are Black, Hispanic, Asian American, American Indian, or Alaskan native.
In order to be eligible as a women's business, a business must be a sole proprietorship, partnership, joint venture, corporation, or other business entity authorized under the laws of the United States, which is at least 51 percent owned, operated, and controlled by persons who are women, without regard to race.
In order to be eligible to be certified under the Act, a minority or women's business must be independently owned, operated, and controlled and can demonstrate the ability to be considered a "going concern," as in the business has sufficient resources needed to continue operating indefinitely by normal industry standards. A business shall meet the following standards to be certified as a minority business or women's business:
Ownership: A business shall be deemed to be independently owned, operated, and controlled, if its management, as specified in its certification application, is responsible for both its daily and long-term operation, and that management owns at least 51 percent interest in the business. The ownership and control by minorities or women shall be real, substantial, and continuing, demonstrating authority over the affairs of the business, and shall go beyond the pro forma ownership of the business as reflected in its ownership documents;
Business Entity: Recognition of the business as a separate entity for tax or corporate purposes is not necessarily sufficient for recognition as a minority business or women's business. In determining whether a potential minority business or women's business is an independent business, all relevant factors shall be considered, including the date the business was established and the degree to which financial, equipment leasing, and other relationships with non-minority and non-women businesses vary from industry practice; and
Licensing: When a professional or occupational license or certification is required by Federal or State law to perform the primary business operations of the applicant business, and the woman owner in the case of a women's business or the minority owner in the case of a minority business does not possess the applicable license or certification, the woman or minority owner shall demonstrate competence in the affairs of the business in order to satisfy the requirement for managerial and operational control.
*Taken from the New Jersey Administrative Code, Title 17
"Veteran-owned business" means a business, as defined in N.J.S.A. 52:32-49 et seq., which has its principal place of business in the State, is independently owned and operated, and not less than 51 percent of the business is owned by one or more veterans; and the management and daily business operations of which are controlled by one or more veterans.
"Disabled veteran-owned business" means a business that has its principal place of business in the State, is independently owned and operated, and at least 51 percent of which is owned and controlled by persons who are disabled veterans or a business that has its principal place of business in this State and has been officially verified by the United States Department of Veterans' Affairs as a service disabled veteran-owned business for the purposes of Federal department contracts pursuant to Federal law.
*Taken from the New Jersey Administrative Code, Title 17
*17:47-1.3 Standards of certification for LGBTQ+ businesses
A business may be eligible to be certified as an LGBTQ+ business,
as set forth in this section.
In order to be eligible as an LGBTQ+ business, a business must be
a sole proprietorship, partnership, joint venture, corporation, or other
business entity authorized pursuant to the laws of the United States, which
is at least 51 percent owned, operated, and controlled by persons who
identify as LGBTQ+.
In order to be eligible to be certified, an LGBTQ+ business must be
independently owned, operated, and controlled and can demonstrate the
ability to be considered a “going concern,” as the business has sufficient
resources needed to continue operating indefinitely by normal industry
standards. A business shall meet the following standards to be certified as
an LGBTQ+ business:
Ownership. A business shall be deemed to be independently owned,
operated, and controlled, if its management, as specified in its certification
application, is responsible for both its daily and long-term operation, and
that management owns at least 51 percent interest in the business and
consists of individuals who identify as LGBTQ+. The ownership and
control by members of the LGBTQ+ community shall be real, substantial,
and continuing, demonstrating authority over the affairs of the business,
and shall go beyond the pro forma ownership of the business as, reflected
in its ownership documents.
Business Entity. Recognition of the business as a separate entity for
tax or corporate purposes is not necessarily sufficient for recognition as
an LGBTQ+ business. In determining whether a potential LGBTQ+
business is an independent business, all relevant factors shall be
considered, including the date the business was established and the degree
to which financial, equipment leasing, and other relationships with non-
LGBTQ+ businesses vary from industry practice.
Licensing. When a professional or occupational license or
certification is required by Federal or State law to perform the primary
business operations of the applicant business, and the LGBTQ+ business
does not possess the applicable license or certification, the LGBTQ+
owner shall demonstrate competence in the affairs of the business, in order
to satisfy the requirement for managerial and operational control.
Information and Services
Current Set-aside Initiatives
The State of New Jersey currently has two contract set aside programs – a 25 percent set aside for certified Small Business Enterprises and a three percent set aside for Disabled Veteran Owned Business Enterprises.
Apply for Certification
Treasury's Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services has implemented a streamlined, web-based business certification service that makes the process more user-friendly by allowing businesses to certify in more than one category with only one application.
Get Help
If you have questions about the Business Certification Program, rules and regulations, or your application(s), contact the NJ Division of Revenue & Enterprise Services Uniform Certification Services Unit.
Phone: 609-292-2146, weekdays except holidays, 8:30am to 4:30pm.
Official Site of The State of New Jersey
