Business Oregon’s COBID office has completed the re-evaluation of existing Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) and Airport Concessions Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) firms and has updated the COBID Directory to reflect those firms that have been re-certified under the U.S. Department of Transportation’s October 3, 2025 Interim Final Rule (IFR).
Under the IFR, the prior presumption of social and economic disadvantage based on race or gender has been removed. All firms that have been re-certified were required to submit:
- A Personal Narrative describing the owner’s individual experiences of social and economic disadvantage; and
- Updated Personal Net Worth and federal tax documentation to verify continued economic eligibility.
Any firm that was previously certified as a DBE/ACDBE but did not submit a Personal Narrative, Personal Net Worth statement, and 2024 tax documentation by the January 15th prioritization date, their certification will have been deactivated. If a firm wishes to submit the required documents past the prioritization date, they may still do so and COBID will review the application to determine whether the firm qualifies for renewal under the new federal standards and can be reactivated for DBE/ACDBE eligibility. Firms will have the opportunity to still submit a Re-Evaluation application up to their annual renewal date. At that time, if no contact has been made with COBID, the certification will be decertified, and the firm must completely start over with a new DBE/ACDBE application.
COBID is also now accepting NEW DBE/ACDBE applications. Firms seeking certification for the first time must submit a complete application, including a Personal Narrative, demonstrating that the owner meets the federal criteria for social and economic disadvantage. In addition, COBID is now able to process interstate DBE/ACDBE re-certifications. Firms certified in another state must provide documentation from their home-state Unified Certification Program (UCP) confirming that the firm has been certified under the new IFR requirements.
Effective Monday, January 12, all Interstate DBE and ACDBE firms—meaning firms certified in another state and not based in Oregon—have been deactivated in the COBID Directory. This action is required under the U.S. DOT’s October 3, 2025 Interim Final Rule (IFR), which requires firms to be certified under the new standards by their home-state Unified Certification Program (UCP) before interstate eligibility can be recognized. These firms are not considered decertified; rather, their Oregon interstate eligibility is inactive until their home state completes re-certification under the IFR and provides updated confirmation to COBID.
For more information:
- Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Questionnaire: Available here for download
- COBID Re-Certification process: DBE/ACDBE Re-Certification FAQ’s
- Crafting a Personal Narrative: Personal Narrative Guidance