(GayWebSource.com – Gay News and Press Syndication) – Posted by SeasonsofPride.com

After 15 years of NGLCC advocating for LGBT business owners and guiding the largest companies in the world towards more inclusive supplier diversity, they’ve hit one of their biggest milestones yet: 1000 certified LGBT Business Enterprises® (LGBTBEs).

When we started on this journey, we hoped to make a difference in the LGBT business community and to stand up for the often overlooked LGBT business owner. With over 1000 LGBT businesses certified as LGBTBEs, we have incontrovertible proof that we are not the only ones committed to this vision. Our businesses are essential to the economic health of this country – adding over $1.7 trillion dollars to the U.S. economy and creating tens of thousands of new jobs. We are thriving in every sector and in every corner of the nation because of your commitment, innovation, and pride in our business community.

NGLCC’s success could not have been achieved without the incredible support from our corporate partners, affiliate chambers, friends, allies, and our 1000+ certified LGBTBE owners. For your unyielding support, we thank you.

Even with this incredible milestone under our belts, our work is far from over. With our recent inclusion in the Billon Dollar Roundtable and the standalone requirement in the HRC Corporate Equality Index to utilize LGBT businesses in the corporate supply chain, we know there is exponential growth still ahead for our LGBTBE certification numbers and for the number of contracting opportunities for our businesses to thrive. We encourage each one of you to talk with a friend or colleague about getting certified and helping us move a little closer to our goal of getting 2000 certified LGBTBEs by 2020.

We look forward to celebrating this, and all the milestones we’ve achieved in our last fifteen years, with you at the 2017 NGLCC National Dinner in Washington, D.C. on November 17, 2017.

The NGLCC is the exclusive, third-party certification body that verifies that eligible businesses are majority-owned by LGBT individuals, and subsequently, grants LGBT Business Enterprise® (LGBTBE®) designation to such businesses as part of its LGBT Supplier Diversity Initiative.

By becoming a certified LGBTBE, businesses are able to build relationships with America’s leading corporations, generate prospective business and clients, and collectively team with each other for contracting opportunities. As corporate America becomes more inclusive and further diversifies its supply chain, certification offers the opportunity for LGBT-owned businesses to differentiate themselves from their competitors.

Certified LGBTBEs are routinely sought after by NGLCC Corporate Partners who are looking to increase their spend with the LGBT business community through our internal, proprietary database. LGBTBEs, in turn, have access to over 160 contacts with corporate representatives and supplier diversity professionals to begin building strategic relationships and making preparations to meet face-to-face with them at NGLCC matchmaking and networking events, which are held across the country throughout the year. Certified LGBTBEs are also eligible for scholarship programs, mentorship and leadership training, and other business development tools following one year.

Does your business meet the following criteria?

Majority (at least 51%) owned, operated, managed, and controlled by an LGBT person or persons who are either U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents
Exercises independence from any non-LGBT business enterprise
Has its principal place of business (headquarters) in the United States
Has been formed as a legal entity in the United States

In order for applicant businesses to be certified, all applicable documentation must be supplied in full accordance with NGLCC SDI Standards and Procedures or an applicant business may be denied approval for certification. Please consult the document, which describes the criteria for certification and the application process.

If you have questions, check out our Frequently Asked Questions page or contact the NGLCC SDI Team directly at 202-234-9181.

Please note: Businesses that are certified by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) or the United States Business Leadership Network: Disability at Work (USBLN) are eligible for expedited certification. If you are certified by WBENC or USBLN, please contact the NGLCC SDI Team.

Maximize your business opportunities by becoming a member of an NGLCC affiliate chamber. As a member, you can network with local LGBT and allied business owners, have access to local programming and events, and can take advantage of local business opportunities.

Become a member of your local affiliate chamber to not only leverage local membership benefits but also take advantage of complimentary national certification. NGLCC waives the $400 certification fee for businesses that choose to join their local affiliate chamber.

Applicants who wish not to join their local affiliate chamber will be prompted to pay a non-refundable certification/ recertification fee when completing the application for certification.