The office shall be the sole authority to perform certification of minority business enterprises, socially and economically disadvantaged business enterprises, and women’s business enterprises throughout the state of Washington. Certification by the state office will allow these firms to participate in programs for these enterprises administered by the state of Washington, any city, town, county, special purpose district, public corporation created by the state, municipal corporation, or quasi-municipal corporation within the state of Washington.

This statewide certification process will prevent duplication of effort, achieve efficiency, and permit local jurisdictions to further develop, implement, and/or enhance comprehensive systems of monitoring and compliance for contracts issued by their agencies.