Get Certified!

As a business owner, you work hard to succeed. Place your business at a competitive advantage and watch it grow when you leverage the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce's (NGLCC) LGBT Business Enterprise (LGBTBE) Certification.

• Why should you get certified?
• Who qualifies?
• How to get certified

Why should you get certified?

Numbers don't lie, and the data is clear!

Opportunities exist right in our backyard!

Our Corporate Partners, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and other local governments and businesses actively seek to do business with certified LGBTBEs.

You'll be connected.

As a certified LGBTBE, you'll have access to the full network of NGLCC, the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce, with more than 200 corporate and government partners looking to partner with certified businesses like yours. There are over 1,000 LGBTBEs representing all industries and seeking business-to-business (B2B) opportunities and strategic partnerships with other certified suppliers, like you!

LGBTBEs have staying power!

According to NGLCC's "America's LGBT Economy" Report, LGBTBEs stay in business longer than the average small business in America – over twice as long.

No matter the size of your business, you can reap the benefits of certification.

LGBTBEs range in size from sole proprietors to multinational LGBT-owned corporations with revenues in the hundreds of millions!

Consumers want to do business with LGBTBEs.

The LGBT community spends more than $917 billion every year on goods and services, and they are more than 75% likely to change brands when they know they are LGBT-inclusive. Differentiate your business in the marketplace by getting certified!

And the list goes on.

LGBTBEs can take advantage of a host of mentorship and educational opportunities to grow their business, connections to other LGBTBEs and contracting opportunities, and tools to develop valuable skills to take their business to the next level.

Who qualifies?

There are some basic criteria a business must meet to be eligible for certification.

• It is majority (at least 51%) owned, operated, managed, and controlled by an LGBT person or persons who are either U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents.
• It exercises independence from any non-LGBT business enterprise.
• It has its principal place of business (headquarters) in the United States.
• It has been formed as a legal entity in the United States.

How to get certified

1. Visit My.NGLCC.org to start your business profile.
   (Tell NGLCC more about you and your business.)
2. Submit supporting documents.
   (Once you begin your business profile, an NGLCC team member will reach out to help you through this step.)
3. Complete a site visit with an NGLCC-trained site visitor.
   (The site visitor will corroborate the information in your application and learn more about your business in the process.)
4. Await National Certification Committee review.
   (The National Certification Committee meets monthly and will review your application to certify your business as an LGBTBE.)