Small and disadvantaged businesses

Updated: 8/8/2025

Metro’s Small Business Programs Office (SBPO) is dedicated to helping small businesses and disadvantaged businesses compete effectively for contracts with Metro (formally, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, or WMATA) — and win them. If you want to do business with Metro, getting certified in our small business programs boosts your chances of being awarded a contract.

About Metro Small Business Programs

Established by Metro policy, under the guidance of the federal and state governments, Metro’s small business programs set aside some of Metro’s spending for small and historically disadvantaged businesses to promote social and economic equity — and enable a more diverse set of companies to work with us to carry on Metro’s mission. There is funding set aside under these programs for both construction contracts and other kinds of contracts.

To participate, you need to certify your company first. Different programs will help you compete for different Metro contracts, and you can get certified for more than one if you qualify.

Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE)

The DBE program is for companies that are small businesses whose owners are socially and economically disadvantaged according to the federal government’s definition.

Learn more about the DBE program, and how to get certified

Small Business Enterprise (SBE)

The SBE program is for small businesses meeting the criteria set by the U.S. Small Business Administration, a federal agency. We set aside some of our spending for businesses like these.

If you get certified as a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) company, you’re automatically qualified as a Small Business Enterprise (SBE) company. You don’t have to apply separately for the SBE program.

Learn more about the SBE program, and how to get certified

Local Programs

Even if you don’t qualify for the DBE or SBE programs, you may qualify for one of Metro’s locally funded programs.

These programs are meant to open more doors for small, minority-owned, and women-owned businesses, by setting aside some of Metro’s spending for these businesses.

The Minority Business Enterprise Program (MBE) provides additional contracting opportunities for minority-owned businesses.
The Small Business Program (SBE) provides additional contracting opportunities for businesses based in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia that have revenues under $10 million and 50 or fewer employees.
The Micro Business Program (MBP) supports microbusiness growth by setting aside some contracting opportunities for businesses with revenues under $3 million and 25 or fewer employees.

Learn more about local programs, and how to get certified

Getting your company certified

To get certified for one of these programs, you need to:

Make sure you have all the required documents ready to upload. See the details on the page for your program.
Register your business on Metro’s Supplier Portal. Learn more >>
Using the Supplier Portal, complete the application for your selected program, and upload the required documents.

Other help for small businesses

The SBPO holds and participates in events, such as webinars, seminars, and expos, to help you understand how to contract with Metro and take advantage of small business programs. From strategic planning sessions and small business summits to seminars on smart technology and government certifications, our events are designed to elevate and empower your business.

Need more support? Explore further resources for small, local, and disadvantaged businesses:

Federal	District of Columbia	Maryland	Virginia
U.S. Department of Commerce, Minority Business Development Agency	DC Chamber of Commerce	Governor's Office of Minority Affairs (GOMA)	Arlington Economic Development
U.S. Department of Transportation	DC Office of Small and Local Business Development	Maryland Department of Transportation	Fairfax County Economic Development Authority
U.S. Department of Homeland Security	DC Water	Maryland Small Business Development Center (SBDC)	Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority
U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)	District Department of Transportation	Meridian Management Group, Inc. (MMG)	Virginia Small Business Development Center Network
	Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (GWHCC)	Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation
	Insurance Resources for DC Businesses	Prince George's County Economic Development Corporation (EDC)
	National Railroad Passenger Corporation (AMTRAK)	Prince George's County Minority Business Development Division
	Score DC	Prince George's Financial Services Corporation
	Washington Area Community Investment Fund (WACIF)	Procurement Technical Assistance Center
	Washington DC Economic Partnership Business Premier Program
	Washington, DC Small Business Development Center

Sign up for the SBPO newsletter

To stay informed about how the SBPO can help you compete more effectively for Metro contracts, subscribe to the SBPO newsletter.

Open bid solicitations

You can see a list of current open bid solicitations on the Supplier Portal. Bid solicitations are opportunities for companies to apply to do business with Metro. If you are certified for one of Metro’s small business programs, you may be more likely to win a contract.

See open bid solicitations

Learn more about WMATA’s procurement process, and how to submit a bid

Finding subcontractors that are certified

Even if your company doesn’t qualify for these programs, you may increase your chances of winning a contract if you include a certified company as a subcontractor. To identify a certified company, you can use the WMATA Supplier Portal to search for one that meets your needs.

Search for certified companies