BEST STEP 2
Empower
Black Business Certification Program
SECTION 1 · WHAT YOU GET
Three things on your hard drive by graduation.
Black Business Certification
The credential corporates and government buyers look for in their supplier diversity programs. Cross-applies to CAMSC, WBE, IWSCC, CQCC.
A working bid library
Capability statement, NAICS/UNSPSC codes, pricing templates, past performance documentation. The portfolio buyers ask for.
Direct buyer introductions
Four flagship 'Meet the Buyers' classes — corporate, public sector, government procurement, and live matchmaking.
WHO THIS IS FOR
Black-owned Canadian businesses with at least some revenue activity who want to access procurement contracts. ~80% of cohort participants certify by graduation.
CURRICULUM
Four phases. Built to progress.
Foundation
Weeks 1–3
Procurement landscape orientation. Canadian supplier diversity ecosystem. NAICS/UNSPSC mapping.
Build the bid library
Weeks 4–7
Capability statement, capability matrix, past performance, pricing templates, references — all peer-reviewed.
Certification readiness
Weeks 8–10
Ownership documentation, governance, financial readiness review. The certification committee submission.
Meet the Buyers
Weeks 11–14
Four flagship classes connecting graduates to actual buyers — corporate supplier diversity, public sector, government procurement, and live in-person supplier diversity matchmaking.
Upcoming Cohorts
Tuesday
September
2026
Procurement & Certification Readiness Course™
VirtualTuesday
September
2026
Procurement & Certification Readiness Course™
VirtualReady to Join?
WHAT GRADUATES SAY
From the community.
“Certification opened doors I'd been knocking on for years. Three corporate buyer intros in the first month after graduating.”
Graduate, Cohort 8 · 2025 · Construction · BC
“The bid library alone was worth the 14 weeks. We won our first $80K contract three weeks after Class 14.”
2024 graduate · Professional services · ON
“I'd been quoting too low for years. The pricing templates fixed that. Margins doubled within six months.”
Graduate, Cohort 7 · 2024 · Creative · QC
THE BEST METHOD
COMMON QUESTIONS
Frequently asked questions.
No. Empower is designed for businesses that already have operational foundations in place — either through completing the Build program or through equivalent experience. Our application will assess your readiness and place you at the right step.
The BEBC Certification Mark is Canada's leading certification for Black-owned businesses entering corporate procurement. It verifies Black ownership, operational capacity, and compliance readiness — and it is recognized by all BEBC Council corporate members.
Meet the Buyers is the certification milestone event at the end of the Empower program. Certified graduates present their business to procurement representatives from BEBC Council corporate members — major Canadian companies committed to supplier diversity.
Empower cohorts are delivered in a hybrid format: most curriculum sessions are virtual (allowing national participation), with in-person events including the Meet the Buyers flagship in key cities.
Empower graduates advance to Stabilize (BEST Step 3) — the Entrepreneurship Financial Literacy Program — where you build the financial management skills to run a stable, scalable business.
READY TO APPLY
One application places you in the right step.
Application takes ~15 minutes.
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