If your firm is looking to obtain an Airport Concessions Contract, an ACDBE Certification can provide your firm with a preference for obtaining those contracts. As of September 25, 2026, ACDBE eligibility is based on an individualized showing of social and economic disadvantage, not simply on being minority- or woman-owned. Enacted in 1983, the ACDBE program requires that a minimum of 10% of federal funds provided for transit assistance be spend with DBE/ACDBE certified firms. These certifications are managed by the Department of Transportation and the ACDBE more directly by the FAA. All airports that are recipients of FAA grants for airport planning or development and who will award prime contracts exceeding $250,000 in FAA funds must have an ACDBE program in place. Generally speaking, at a large airport approximately 25-35% or more of the concession contracts are awarded to ACDBE firms.
IMPORTANT: On September 25, 2026, DOT finalized new DBE/ACDBE eligibility rules. The old race- and sex-based presumptions of disadvantage are gone — every applicant now needs an individualized Personal Narrative, and current DBE/ACDBE holders must go through a reevaluation. States generally must finish reevaluations within 90 days of the rule (about December 24, 2026), and firms that have not submitted an updated narrative and personal net worth statement by about March 24, 2027 face automatic disqualification. Call us to make sure your firm — new applicant or current holder — is ready.
Challenge in Obtaining an ACDBE Certification
Obtaining an airport concession contract can be a big win for a restaurateur, concession owner or retail shop. There is a growing trend among airports for “local flair” to be part of the mix to give layover travelers a feel for the town they are moving through. Unfortunately, there is usually not enough time for firms to obtain the ACDBE certification and then bid on airport contracts. The certification needs to be in hand at the time your bid is submitted and due to certification process times, this generally cannot happen simultaneously with bidding. Additionally, many of the bids are won by partners who are pairing up with ACDBE firms to bid on an airport contract. Without the certification in hand any partner will not take the firm seriously, so it is critical to have your ACDBE certification to not miss out on these important business opportunities.
Benefits of Owning an Airport Concessions Business
Airport concessions can make for great businesses. This is because you have a captive audience, and it is estimated that for each hour a person spends in an airport they spend $7. With sporadic security lines this generates extra time in recent years for passengers in airports. In fact, retail at large has seen a decline in revenue, however airports have seen this number continue to grow at about 4% per year. Most airport concession contracts are for a 10-year period providing you with a stable, predictable and growing income source for many years.
| Certification | Number of all Disadvantaged Firms | Total value of all awards/leases to disadvantaged firms |
|---|---|---|
| ACDBE | 1,014 | $2,459,382,948 |
| Total Number of Airports U.S. | 19,576 |
| Primary Commercial Service Airports | 383 |
| Large Hub | 31 |
| Medium Hub | 37 |
| Small Hub | 68 |
| Non-Primary Hub | 247 |
| ACDBE | |
|---|---|
| Ownership & Control | At least 51% of the enterprise must be owned and controlled by a socially and economically disadvantaged individual(s) |
| Qualifying Owner’s Personal Net Worth Limit: | Less than $2,047,000, excluding retirement assets and the value of the business (this amount can be challenged if the assets and liabilities paint a picture that differs from this standard’s intention, such as the applicant owns a yacht). |
| Size Standards | ACDBE Small Business (Guidelines) Gross Receipts do not exceed: -$56.42 million Exceptions – Banks must have less than – $1 billion in assets – Car rental companies – $75.23 million average annual gross receipts over the last 3 years – (note: this figure is adjusted every 2 years) – Pay telephones – 1,500 employees – Automobile dealers – 350 employees |
| Type of Business | Any for-profit business that is independent |
| Type of Contract | Per contract basis, varying degree of advantage given |
| Who can apply | Any individual who can show, through an individualized Personal Narrative, that they are socially and economically disadvantaged based on at least one objective distinguishing feature (race, ethnicity, sex, or disability). As of September 25, 2026, DOT no longer presumes disadvantage based on race or sex alone. |
| On-site Inspection | Required for most in-state located firms |
How ez8a Helps Clients in the ACDBE Process
We are experts at the ACDBE certification, and it is an area we help firms navigate to obtain airport concessions contracts. One of our analysts will work one-on-one with you to obtain the certification in the least amount of time possible. Give us a call and we can spend about 15 minutes on a call with you to determine if your firm meets the current eligibility requirements.
OUR ACDBE CERTIFICATION PACKAGE INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING:
- Initial interview and strategy session to roadmap your ACDBE application. This process generally takes between 1.5 and 2.5 hours.
- Document checklist is created specific to your firm. This will be a list of all the enclosures and documents needed to complete the ACDBE application.
- An analyst will work on your ACDBE package immediately upon submission to our firm. It is customary for firms seeking this certification to have future bid considerations in play and we are very mindful of those issues.
- We review all documentation submitted for potential problems. The Department of Transportation places a high level of scrutiny on ACDBE applications and, therefore, review all documents thoroughly.
- We will communicate with you (by email and phone) throughout the ACDBE application process ensuring we are staying on the critical path for successful and timely completion.
- An analyst will interview you and prepare the socially disadvantaged narrative if you are a non-presumed group applicant as that is a critical piece of your ACDBE application.
- We will do the entire application, double-checking everything to be sure it meets all 49 CFR part 23 guidelines and we will assemble the entire package (usually 3 -4 inches thick) of paperwork.
- Finally, we will tab all the places in the ACDBE Application where your signature is needed and will send the completed package so you can sign and forward it to the DOT review board.
- When we send it, your ACDBE application is ready for the DOT review.
New DOT Standard, Effective September 25, 2026
DOT finalized a new rule that eliminates the old race- and sex-based presumptions of disadvantage in the DBE and ACDBE programs. Every applicant must now submit an individualized Personal Narrative showing they are both socially and economically disadvantaged — demographic presumptions are no longer enough on their own, but you may still describe your own experiences of discrimination based on race, ethnicity, sex, or another factor as evidence supporting your narrative.
Key Elements to the narrative include:
- Identifying at least one objective distinguishing feature (such as race, ethnicity, sex, or a disability) that forms the basis of your disadvantaged status
- Explaining how that characteristic caused you economic hardship, social barriers, or denied opportunities
- Comparing your circumstances to a non-disadvantaged individual with comparable qualifications
- Showing that your business is economically disadvantaged in fact, not just below the personal net worth cap
Ez8a Narrative Services:
- Ez8a will send templates and guidelines to the applicant for an understanding of how the certifying agency wishes to see the narrative formatted and in order to get their rough draft started.
- Ez8a will review the clients rough draft narrative for accuracy and provide feedback, commentary, edits, and suggestions to the applicant regarding their rough draft.
- Ez8a will then include the owner’s feedback from the review to finalize the narrative and assist the client with answering any follow up questions from the certifying agency in the rare occurrence they ask for additional information pertaining to the narrative.
