A Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) is a for-profit small business where socially and economically disadvantaged individuals own at least a 51% interest and also control management and daily business operations. Administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the DBE program seeks to offer small, disadvantaged businesses a fair opportunity to compete for federally funded transportation contracts. While the program is federally mandated, each state retains its own certification authority for firms – often referred to as a Unified Certification Program –  and maintains its own directory of DBE firms eligible to receive transportation-related contracts. Serrmi is also MBE certified by the National Minority Supplier Development Council.