Airport Experience® News - ACDBE Issue 2026

WARD: How is the recertification process going for your members? What are the red flags here? WIMBUSH: For AMAC members, the recertification process has been challenging, inconsistent, and resource intensive. What they have to do is clear, but there is some reluctance from some ACDBEs to go through the process. It’s not just paperwork. [The process requires] that you retell your story. It can be like reliving trauma for some. Even though [the focus is on] social and economic disadvantage, some of those things can tie to how you’ve been discriminated against, and that can be painful. And, if telling your story is not your thing, then you had to find help. Fortunately, we’ve had some people and companies providing support to do that – AMAC as an organization did a series of webinars. But then putting pen to paper is someone’s responsibility, and that’s not easy. [Among other] key issues we are hearing is that it’s a significant administrative burden: Firms must now produce detailed personal narratives and financial documentation to prove disadvantage on a case-by-case basis. If you didn’t have a well-documented and an archived system, then there are going to be some challenges. [There is also] inconsistent interpretation across states and UCPs. Guidance is still evolving, leading to uneven application. There are capacity constraints at certifying agencies because UCPs are managing a full re-certification of every firm simultaneously; and there are extended timelines and uncertainty. Red flags include firms losing certification due to documentation gaps rather than eligibility issues, smaller businesses lacking the legal or technical support to navigate the new requirements, and a real risk of shrinking the ACDBE pool, at least in the near term. WARD: I believe airports have been instructed to set ACDBE contract goals to zero as the re-evaluation process continues. What has that meant in practical terms? What are you seeing from airports? WIMBUSH: The IFR explicitly prevents recipients from setting or enforcing DBE/ACDBE goals until reevaluation is complete. In practical terms, this has meant that airports are issuing solicitations with 0% ACDBE participation goals. ACDBE participation is not being counted toward any contract or overall goals. Existing contracts can continue, but participation is not credited toward compliance metrics

Above, Left: Evidence of the ACDBE program can be found in nearly all commercial airports in the United States (Onsite Retailers flagship brand and Concord Collective’s Beecher’s Handmade Cheese pictured). A pause to the federal program means new airport contracts are currently not tied to any minority participation goals.

What we’re seeing from airports is a shift toward race-neutral procurement language and compliance frameworks and increased caution in structuring concession opportunities. In markets where there is diversity in business owners, I think they recognize that they have to be creative and use what’s within their ability to use. Sometimes that is a small business program. In some cases, [we’re seeing] a slowdown in new concession opportunities tied to ACDBE participation. The concern is that, without goals, the incentive structure that drives participation is temporarily absent. There are a lot of things that airports have to do, and sometimes when you don’t have to focus on something, it gives

you the opportunity to focus on 10,000 other things. Everybody has priorities. And if it’s not a priority, then you don’t pay as much attention to it when you don’t have to. WARD: Can you give me an overview of AMAC’s efforts to effect change / solidify the program for the future? WIMBUSH: Education and advocacy have been hallmarks of AMAC’s work with and for our members. We were immediately out of the gate with clear, succinct training webinars for certifiers and businesses, covering personal narratives, PNWs, and the aspects of the DBE/ACDBE regulations that changed, were paused, and remained unaffected. Over 1,000 members and

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AX NEWS JUNE 2026