HMSDC Certification

How to Get HMSDC Certified

Step 1: Review the certification criteria and checklist and register to attend the Pre-Certification Workshop to ensure that your business qualifies.

Step 2: Collect the required documentation.

Step 3: Complete the application online by clicking here Notarize the declaration, submit the payment, the application and documentation online. The payment information is listed below. For the tutorial document, click here.

Step 4: The applicant will go through a desk audit. The desk audit is a review of the entire application and all supporting documentation. It is also during this stage where we contact your business references.

Step 5: Once the desk audit is complete, the files goes into the site visit stage. The site visit is a personal visit to the applicant’s business to meet with principals and review certain documents to verify ownership, management and control functions. A report of the site visit is prepared and added to the file.

Step 6: Your completed packet will be forwarded to the certification compliance committee in order for them to review and make a recommendation to the Board of Directors for action. The committee can make 1 of 4 recommendations:

• Approval – Once approved, we invite the applicant to ENTER change, which is the mandatory MBE orientation where the applicant will receive its welcome letter, certificate and additional information about HMSDC.
• Approved Pending – The committee had a question or needed clarity on a document. Once received from the applicant, the MBE is approved.
• Tabled – The committee did not have enough information to approve or deny the file, need clarity on information submitted, and they would like to review the file again once the information has been received.
• Denial – The applicant did not meet NMSDC’s criteria. The applicant has 30 days to appeal the committee’s recommendation.

Step 7: The Board of Directors review and vote on the committee’s recommendations. All letters are prepared for signature after the vote.

Step 8: All applicants will receive a written notification of their application status within one week of submission. Firms that are approved will be granted certification that is good for one (1) year. The firm may then apply for an annual renewal, provided they continue to adhere to the guidelines for certification.

Note: The above process can take anywhere from 3 weeks or up to 90 days depending on when the application arrives in relationship to the monthly certification meetings (2nd Thursday) of the month. Applicants have 90 days to complete the certification process.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact certification@hmsdc.org