How to Complete the US Enhanced Digital Certification (EDC)

About EDC

The Enhanced Digital Certification (EDC) is an innovative, fast and inexpensive way for small and diverse businesses to get certified while at the same time exposing them to new opportunities as more companies in the private and public sector seek to engage certified diverse suppliers.

The US EDC is specifically aimed at US businesses that are at least 51% owned by persons belonging to one or more of the following demographic groups, where those persons  are active in management & daily business operations:

• Minority Owned
• Woman Owned
• Veteran Owned
• Service Disabled Veteran Owned
• Disability Owned
• LGBTQ Owned
• Small Businesses
• Small Disadvantaged Businesses

Getting started

The certification process only takes a few minutes to complete.  To get started, you will need:

• Access to email
• Evidence of your ownership
• Tax ID Number  
• A valid form of US Identification (Driver's License or Passport or Government Issued ID)
• Camera on your computer or smartphone

Registering

Complete the short registration to establish your company in SupplierGATEWAY.

You will need:

• Access to email
• Company Address

Start the EDC application

The registration is segmented into several steps. One of the steps is the Enhanced Digital Certification application.  Follow the onscreen instructions and find the Enhanced Digital Certification application in the menu.

Answer the EDC application questions

Answer the EDC questionnaire and provide required documents.

You will need:

• Authority to respond/attest on behalf of your business.
• Evidence of Ownership
• Attestation as to Woman Owned or Disability Owned Status

Pay the EDC application fee

Pay the EDC Application Fee of $25 USD (1-year certification) or $70 USD (3-year certification).  If your EDC application is being sponsored, you will automatically skip this step and will not be prompted to pay.

You will need:

• Credit Card

Biometric ID verification

Complete the Biometric ID Verification.  This must be completed by the authorized signatory that digitally signed the EDC Application.

You will need:

• Valid US Passport or Driver’s License or Government Issued ID
• Camera on your computer or a smartphone with a camera.

Receiving your EDC certification

If the screening is completed satisfactorily you will receive the EDC certificate via email.  This will normally take about 15 minutes or so. If there are any additional reviews or questions that we have,  you will be notified via email.

Your EDC notification email will include your certificate as an attachment (pdf) as well as a copy of the QR code that you can use on your website, as part of your email footer, or anywhere else that you want to display your certification.  Prospective customers can scan the code to verify the authenticity and validity of your certification.

You will need:

• Email Access

Your EDC certificate

Your EDC certificate will be an attachment to the notification email.

You can also generate a copy anytime by logging into your SupplierGATEWAY account.

Your EDC QR code

Your clients can access some summary information about your business by scanning the EDC QR code.  You can scan this sample company QR code (below) to see what that looks like.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

How is EDC so much faster to obtain?

The EDC represents a digital, scaled approach to certification.  It allows us to take advantage of digital technology to do things faster, and at a much lower cost.  Traditional certification is typically much more analog and labor intensive, hence the significant difference in price and time to complete.

How are we able to provide EDC at such a low cost?

We deconstructed the certification process to streamline and focus on just the activities and attestations necessary to complete certification. We do not provide advocacy or advisory services, and the EDC price is intended to cover only the cost of providing the service.  We were able to leverage our leading digital supplier management platform, SupplierGATEWAY, which already uses digital identify verification, sanctions and compliance checking, Tax Id verification and online profile management to streamline procurement , compliance and supplier management processes for our corporate clients.  There are things we require for certification that can be found in traditional processes, such as documentary evidence of Ownership for example, but there are other things that have been replaced by a digital equivalent – such as digital identity verification using biometrics instead of affidavits and notarization or onsite visits.

What type of diverse businesses does EDC certify?

The EDC process recognizes all types of diverse businesses including minority-owned, women-owned, veteran-owned, LGBTQ-owned and disability-owned businesses.

Are EDC certifications automatically renewed annually?

No. Renewal is not automatic but will take a few minutes to renew, just as the initial certification does. The process needs an update of all documents’ required submittal, renewal of attestations and the digital identity verification process.

Who is eligible to become certified?

Any bona-fide US Citizen Owned Business that is 51% owned, managed and controlled by one or more of the included diversity categories (Minority, Woman, Veteran, Disability, LGBT) is eligible to obtain the US EDC.  There are EDC Certifications available for other countries.

What documents are required for the certification?

It depends on the form of organization of the company. EDC uses these documents to establish the eligibility of the business being certified. However, in all cases, the owner or authorized business representative submitting the application will be required to provide proof of their identity in the form of a valid driver’s license, passport, or government-issued form of picture identification combined with a digital biometric verification.

For a list of acceptable ownership documents to go: What ownership documents are required for the US EDC Application?