State Minority- and Women- Owned Business Enterprise Program

The program prioritizes these businesses for procurement for state government.

A Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) is identified as being at least 51% owned by people who are:

• black persons having origin in any of the black African racial groups; 
• Hispanic persons of Mexican, Dominican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American descent of indigenous or Hispanic origin, regardless of race; 
• Asian and Pacific Islander person having origin in any of the Far East countries, Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent or the Pacific Islands; or 
• Native American or Alaskan Native persons having origin in the original peoples of North America.

A Women-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE) is a business in which at least 51% is owned by who are women.

Business owners must be citizens or permanent residents to be eligible.