March 2026
DCA IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THE LAUNCH OF OUR WEBSITE
Goals for the website include easy access to information about our activities to support our concessions members:
Current Board of Directors
Newsletter library
Community support
Airport and legislative updates
Membership sign-up
Please visit the website and let us know what additional information you would like to see posted. denverconcessionaires.org
SAVE THE DATE!
Our annual member meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 19, immediately following the DFEN 2nd quarter Concessionaires Meeting. The meeting will review DCA accomplishments in 2025, goals for 2026, and a vote for several positions on the Board of Directors.
Meeting location to follow.
ACDBE RE-CERTIFICATION AT DEN
Below is a summary of information regarding the ACDBE status impacting concessions at DEN from Sara Anderson, Manager, ACDBE Program. General resource page: https://www.flydenver.com/business-and-community/acdbe/ This may answer some of the questions recently discussed.
There is another Webinar later this month, tentatively scheduled for the 31st. Sara is happy to schedule a meeting with the group if it is desirable. Thanks!
As you may have seen in the emails sent earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Transportation issued a major Interim Final Rule (IFR) on October 3, 2025, which immediately changed how all ACDBE and DBE certifications work nationwide. Every firm is required to go through the new reevaluation process.
Why You’re Being Asked for a Personal Narrative: The IFR eliminated the race‑ and gender‑based presumptions of social and economic disadvantage, which had been the basis of certification for most firms for decades.
Now, each ACDBE and DBE owner must individually demonstrate social and economic disadvantage, which is why the narrative is required. Agencies across the country are all following this same requirement. Your narrative should describe the personal experiences, obstacles, and economic limitations you as an individual have faced in your business journey, without relying on race or gender presumption.
What You Need to Do Now: Under USDOT’s IFR, all existing ACDBE certifications are considered suspended for counting purposes until each firm completes reevaluation. DEN has also paused program operation and cannot set any new goals or count any participation until this reevaluation process is complete.
You have until your certification anniversary date to submit your application.
To maintain your ACDBE certification eligibility at DEN:
Login to your account and select the required "25 Reevaluation" Application through our B2G certification portal
Upload your Personal Narrative, a current Personal Net Worth (PNW) statement, and any other supporting documents or required information due with your regular anniversary date
Submit before your expiration date (April 2026)
What Happens If You Do Not Renew/Recertify If you do not complete the reevaluation:
Your business will be decertified, and DEN will no longer be able to count your participation toward its ACDBE goals, as required under 49 CFR Parts 23 and 26.
You can continue operating your business at DEN as a non‑ACDBE, but:
Your business will not be counted for ACDBE credit for any of your location(s) as of 10/3/25.
There is some helpful information on our website regarding the recent federal changes and personal narrative guidance: https://www.flydenver.com/business-and-community/acdbe/#change. You can also find a recording (use link below) and presentation (attached) from the webinar we hosted in December 2025: https://www.flydenver.com/business-and-community/outreach-and-engagement/ (find the recording under the Past Outreach Event Presentations and Recordings near the bottom of the page).
Book time to meet with Sara Anderson, Manager, ACDBE Program
ACCESS TO DEN PERKS FOR CONCESSIONAIRES
Learn more at ConcourseDEN.com
HB26-1210 DEFEATED IN COMMITTEE
HB26-1210 would have required airport concessionaires to post street pricing and airport pricing on their menu and/or at point of sale. Confusion over two sets of pricing would have led to passenger confusion and slower service. DCA joined the Metro Chamber in opposing the legislation.
The DCA Board has met with airport executive staff to discuss pricing policy as similar legislation will probably be introduced again in the future.
A message from Rebekah Hernandez, Senior Manager of Government Affairs, Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce:
Coalition Partners,
Thank you for your partnership and strong engagement in opposing HB26-1210. This afternoon, the bill was defeated in the House Judiciary Committee by a decisive 7–3 vote.
This outcome is a direct reflection of the coordinated, credible, and disciplined advocacy from this coalition. Legislators heard clearly that government price controls and restrictions on business pricing practices are not the solution to affordability challenges. They understood the broader implications for consumer choice, market competition, and the cost of doing business in Colorado. Your testimony, outreach, and subject matter expertise made the difference.
Defeating HB26-1210 sends a strong signal that proposals undermining economic competitiveness and imposing unnecessary regulatory constraints will be met with thoughtful and organized opposition. We should take a moment to recognize this as a meaningful win for the business community and for market-driven policy.
That said, we are already turning our attention to HB26-1210, which will be heard in House Business Affairs & Labor Committee next Thursday, March 12 at 1:30 PM. We anticipate similar policy concerns and are preparing accordingly. I will be attaching a fact sheet outlining the bill and its implications.
If you are interested in testifying, please let me know as soon as possible (rebekah.hernandez@denverchamber.org). We are once again coordinating testimony to ensure a strategic and cohesive presentation before the committee.
Thank you again for your leadership and partnership. Today’s result demonstrates what we can accomplish when we work together.