The NCTRCA verifies that firms meet the requirements for certification. A firm applying for certification with the NCTRCA must meet the following criteria to be considered a Disadvantaged, Minority and Woman-Owned Business Enterprise.

Firms applying for Airport Concessionaire Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) or Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) certification must meet the following qualifying requirements:

• North Central Texas Regional Certification Agency Commitment.
• Firm must be at least 51% owned and controlled by a socially and economically disadvantaged individual(s).
• The disadvantaged owners must be an United States Citizen or lawfully admitted permanent resident of the United States.
• Firm must be a small business that meets the Small Business Administration’s size standard and does not exceed $28.48 million in gross receipts for DBEs and $56.42 million in gross received for ACDBEs.
• Personal Net Worth for all owners claiming disadvantaged status for the DBE and/or ACDBE program must not exceed $1.32 million.
• Firm must be organized as a for-profit business.

Firms applying for Small Business Enterprise (SBE) certification must meet the following qualifying requirements (race & gender neutral program):

• The owner(s) must be an United States Citizen or lawfully admitted permanent resident of the United States.
• Firm must be organized as a for-profit business.
• Independently-owned and operated.
• Place of business in the U.S. and works primarily in the U.S.
• Meet the U.S. Small Business Administration size standard requirements for a small business in its NAICS code industry(s).

Firms applying for Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) or Woman-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE) certification must meet the following qualifying requirements:

• Firm must be at least 51% owned and controlled by a minority or women individual(s).
• The minority or women owner(s) must be an United States Citizen or lawfully admitted permanent resident of the United States.
• Firm must be organized as a for-profit business.

The NCTRCA recognizes members of the following groups for certification purposes:

• Women
• Black Americans - persons with origins from any Black racial group of Africa;
• Hispanic Americans - persons of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central/South Americans, Spanish or Portuguese culture or origins, regardless of race.
• Native Americans - persons who are American Indians, Eskimos, Aluets, or Native Hawaiians.
• Asian Pacific Americans - persons with origins from Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, Japan, China, Taiwan, Laos, Cambodia, (Kampuchea), Vietnam, Korea, the Phillippines, Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Trust Territories of the Pacific Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, or the Commonwealth of the Northern Marinas Islands, Macao, Naura.
• Asian Indian Americans - persons whose origins are from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri lanka, Bhutan, the Maldives Islands or Nepal.