In order for small disadvantaged firms, including those owned by minorities and women, to participate in the DOT-assisted contracts of State and local transportation agencies they must apply for and receive certification as a DBE/ACDBE. To be certified as a DBE, a firm must be a small business owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. Recipients get information about firms through on-site visits, personal interviews, reviews of licenses, stock ownership, equipment, bonding capacity, work completed, resume of principal owners, financial capacity, and type of work preferred.

The Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program (DBE) is a legislatively mandated USDOT program that applies to federal-aid highway dollars expended on federally assisted contracts issued by USDOT recipients such as state transportation agencies.

Congress established the DBE program in 1982 to:

Ensure nondiscrimination in the award and administration of DOT-assisted contracts
Help remove barriers to the participation of DBEs in DOT-assisted contracts
Assist the development of firms that can compete successfully in the marketplace outside of the DBE program.

North Carolina Online Certification Application Portal – Register for an Online Account

Sign up for an NC Identity Management (NCID) Account Instructions:

An NCID Account is required for using the North Carolina Online Certification Application Portal.
Navigate to the NC Identity Management Registration Page to create a New NCID Account: (Please click the link to the right): NCID Account Application Portal

Step 1: Select Account Type, choose Register displayed in the bottom right corner of the page (New Account).

Step 2: In order to Register for an NCID Account on the New User Registration Page, then Select the Individual Tab to complete the Vendor/or Firms Company Account Information.

Step 3: Choose a User Id and Password

Step 4: An email will be delivered to your personal email to confirm the account setup is complete. Reply to the verification email.

Step 5: Review the Terms of Service

Step 6: Document your account information (User Id and Password) in a private location or file area.

Sign up for an North Carolina Online Certification Application Portal Account:

Step 1: Select the link below to create the account for the North Carolina Certification Application Portal by completing the EBS access request form. Click link: https://qel.ebs.nc.gov/sap/ocraccess/index.html

Step 2: Enter the required business information to complete the form and click Submit displayed at the bottom right. The form will be delivered to the OCR Staff to verify the DBE Account Certification as active. After the account is confirmed as active

Step 3: The System will provide a confirmation page with a request number. Reply to the verification email.

Step 4: The EBS Security Team will set up the User-ID in the system and notifies the Vendor/Firms user via email once the account is activated. (Note: The account activation will take approximately 24 hours before granting the user access to the portal)

Step 5: Confirm that you have read and agreed to the Terms of Use by clicking the accept button.

Step 6: The Vendor/Firms user can login to North Carolina Online Certification Application Portal using their NCID User ID and Password:

Click the URL: Login or Create An Account

Small Business OCAP-Text

Small Business
OCAP-Text