Minority Business Enterprise
Encyclopedia
A Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) is an American
term which is defined as a business which is at least 51% owned, operated and controlled on a daily basis by one or more (in combination) American citizens of the following ethnic minority classifications:
MBE's can be self identified, but are typically certified by a city, state or federal agency. The predominant certifier for minority businesses is the National Minority Supplier Development Council with its 35-40 regional affiliates.
Purpose:
Many MBE's believe that the benefit of being an MBE is acquisition of contracts via government mandated MBE requirements, but that would be a shallow view of the MBE status. The purpose of the MBE designation is to partner with larger firms to gain access to the resources that most MBE's do not have access to.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
term which is defined as a business which is at least 51% owned, operated and controlled on a daily basis by one or more (in combination) American citizens of the following ethnic minority classifications:
- African AmericanAfrican AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
- Asian American (includes West Asian Americans (India etc.) and East Asian Americans( Japan Korea etc.))
- Hispanic American - not of the Iberian peninsula.
- Native American including Aleuts
MBE's can be self identified, but are typically certified by a city, state or federal agency. The predominant certifier for minority businesses is the National Minority Supplier Development Council with its 35-40 regional affiliates.
Purpose:
Many MBE's believe that the benefit of being an MBE is acquisition of contracts via government mandated MBE requirements, but that would be a shallow view of the MBE status. The purpose of the MBE designation is to partner with larger firms to gain access to the resources that most MBE's do not have access to.
Miscellaneous links
- DBE GoodFaith Inc. A Minority Focus and Trade journal that publishes the latest news and information for the minority, women, disadvantaged, and disabled veteran business community.
- Compliance News A national internet publication that promotes the interests of Minority owned, women owned, disadvantaged and disabled veteran owned businesses. It provides lists of federal and state jobs that are looking to hire companies with these state and federal certifications.
- M/WBENEWS.com A site launched in April 2010 covering the most important stories in the M/WBE news world. New stories are posted daily.