UNIVERSAL WOMEN-LED™ CERTIFICATION

Certifying your business as a Universal Women-Led™ business, you are positioning your company as a company committed to closing the gender gap.

Women-Led Definition

An enterprise with a woman/women, with long-term control and management of the business, equity stake, and an active role in both strategic and day to day decision making.

Certification Benefits:

• Proudly market you are Women-Led.
• Be a visible champion for women in business.
• Opportunities for your business to increase revenue.
• Access to opportunities to access capital to support Women-Led.
• Connect and apply to work with buyers who have mandates to work with Women-Led businesses.
• A consistent and reliable source of income from government grants or sub-contracting to companies who award contacts to Women-Led.
• Brand your product or service with your Certification logo.
• Be visible to the consumer as a Women-Led product.
• Provide the consumer the benefit to show they support Women-Led with your certification logo on your website, email signature, service, or packaging on your products.

Criteria

• The company must have a women-founder, co-founder, or in an executive position as the visionary or driving the direction of the business.
• Long-term control and management of the business – she must have been engaged in the operation, management, and ownership of the business for a minimum of one year.
• Active role in strategic decision making – involved in elements related to the establishment of priorities, objectives, and goals for the business, along with overall operations of the business.
• Day-to-day decision making of the company including, for example, elements related to financial management, human resources, supply management, logistics, business development, marketing, or customer service.
• She must have an equity stake in the company to demonstrates ownership in the company.
• Company to have been owned by a woman for more than two years.

Step 1: Get Certified

To Apply

Applicants must complete the online Certification Application Form and pay the non-refundable fee. You will provide an Affidavit to be commissioned and returned. Our Selection Committee will complete the verification process. A meeting may be required to complete the verification process.  Annual renewal is required.

Once Certification has been approved, you will receive a Certified Universal Women-Owned™ Logo for use to identify your products and services.

Verification Process:

• Payment of Non-Refundable Processing Fee
• Submit Online Application.
• Verification of Required Documents.
• Interview with a member of our Certification Committee.
• Once verified, you will receive an email notification with a Certificate to post in your workplace, certification logo. files, ID Guide.
• Application Process – 2 – 4 weeks
• Expedite Service less than a week available!

STEP 2: Get Visible!

We are elevating Certified Universal Women-Led™ businesses in our Behind the Brand marketing ads. Take your business to the next level and let us help you market your product or service.

Behind the Brand Marketing (optional)

• Social Media Campaign
• Homepage and Social Media
• Behind the Brand Blog Interview
• Behind the Brand Virtual Series – Invited to be on our Panels
• UWomen™ Magazine Feature Blog

Get Certified! Get Visible!  According to the stats, women-owned businesses only make up 16%  of businesses. Social Media has only 26% combined focus on promoting women in business!

If we do not know who you are, how can we support you1?

Top Companies locally, nationally, and globally are supporting women-owned businesses (WOBs) just to name a few.

• Accenture
• Bell
• BMO
• Campbell’s Soup
• Coca-Cola
• Exxon
• General Mills
• General Motors
• IBM
• Johnson & Johnson
• Pepsi-Co
• Proctor and Gamble
• RBC
• Rogers
• TD Bank
• TELUS
• TOYOTA
• WALMART