State Minority- and Women- Owned Business Enterprise Program

The Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprise Program (MWBE) helps businesses owned by women and/or minorities in New York State. If you own, run and control a business as a woman or minority, you can join this program. The program gives these businesses priority for state government contracts.

Minority Business Enterprise (MBE)

An MBE is a business that is at least 51 percent owned by people who are:

• Black persons from any Black African racial group
• Hispanic persons from Mexican, Dominican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American descent of indigenous or Hispanic origin, regardless of race
• Asian and Pacific Islander persons from the Far East, Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent or the Pacific Islands
• Native American or Alaskan Native persons from the original peoples of North America

Women-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE)

A WBE is a business that is at least 51 percent owned by women.

Eligibility: Business owners must be citizens or permanent residents.