What are the benefits of a MBE certification?
Certification gives MBEs exclusive access to top corporate purchasing agents, premium networking events, searchable supplier databases, services, technology programs, and vital introductions to nationally known corporations. Many states and cities have minority-owned business programs, which are often referred to as Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) programs. Certification can significantly help your business gain access to government contracts.
Eligibility Criteria for MBE
The minimum requirements to qualify as a MBE with the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) or a local MBE program administered by a city, county or state are:
A for-profit business located in the United States;
51% owned, operated, capitalized and controlled by a member(s) of a presumed group identified below, who is the top executive officer responsible for managing daily operations with a technical expertise (experience) in the firm’s primary business expertise;
Legal residents (green cards) are accepted by most MBE programs administered by a city, county and state; however, the NMSDC require U.S. Citizenship (no exceptions).
A member(s) of a presumed group includes:
Black American: any Black racial group originating in Africa;
Hispanic: origins in Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Central and South American, or other Spanish or Portuguese cultures;
Native American: a Native of Alaska or Hawaii, or certified member of a federal or state recognized Indian Tribe;
Asian Pacific: origins in the Pacific Islands, China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Thailand, Burma, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore or Philippines;
Subcontinent Asian: origins in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maldives Islands, Nepal or Sri Lanka.