An eligible firm must be owned by an individual(s) who is socially and economically disadvantaged, rather than owned by another firm, except as provided below:

(1) If a socially and economically disadvantaged individual(s) owns and controls a firm through a parent or holding company that is established for tax, capitalization, or other purposes consistent with industry practice; and the parent or holding company owns and controls the subsidiary.

(2) The agency may certify such a subsidiary if there is cumulatively 51 percent ownership of the subsidiary by a socially and economically disadvantaged individual(s). Examples of such subsidiaries include, but are not limited to:

(a) A socially and economically disadvantaged individual(s) owns 100 percent of a holding company and has a wholly owned subsidiary. The subsidiary may be certified, if it meets all other requirements.

(b) A socially and economically disadvantaged individual(s) owns 100 percent of the holding company and owns 51 percent of a subsidiary. The subsidiary may be certified, if all other requirements are met.

(c) A socially and economically disadvantaged individual(s) owns 80 percent of the holding company and the holding company in turn owns 70 percent of a subsidiary. In this case, the cumulative ownership of the subsidiary by disadvantaged individuals is 56 percent (80 percent of the 70 percent). This is more than 51 percent, so the agency may certify the subsidiary, if all other requirements are met.

(d) Same as the examples in (b) and (c) of this subsection, but someone other than the socially and economically disadvantaged owner(s) of the parent or holding company control the subsidiary. Even though the subsidiary is owned by disadvantaged individuals, through the holding or parent company, the agency cannot certify it because it fails to meet control requirements.

(e) A socially and economically disadvantaged individual(s) owns 60 percent of the holding company and 51 percent of a subsidiary. In this case, the cumulative ownership of the subsidiary by disadvantaged individuals is approximately 31 percent. This is less than 51 percent, so the agency cannot certify the subsidiary.

(f) The holding company, in addition to the subsidiary seeking certification, owns several other companies. The combined gross receipts of the holding companies and its subsidiaries are greater than the size standard for the subsidiary seeking certification or the gross receipts cap of WAC 326-20-096. Under the rules concerning affiliation, the subsidiary fails to meet the size standard and cannot be certified.

(3) Businesses certified by the office are limited to having one level of ownership above an operating company. That is, there could be a "parent" company but not a "grandparent" company.