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WHAT IS MINORITY BUSINESS CERTIFICATION?

According to MWBE.com (the Minority and Women Owned Enterprises website), small business certification is a review process designed to ensure that a small business is actually owned, controlled, and operated by the applicants. Most certifications are granted for Minority-owned businesses, Small Disadvantaged Businesses, and Underutilized businesses. Certification agencies implement the processes for government and private sector entities and ensure that only firms that meet the eligibility criteria of the individual programs are properly certified.

WHY GET CERTIFIED?

New York State Certification affords your business the opportunity to be listed in a statewide Directory of Certified Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises used by state agencies and contractors. Because state government has been mandated by the Governor and the Legislature to provide greater opportunity for participation by Minority and Women's Business Enterprises (M / WBEs) in state contracting, certification gives business owners an advantage when marketing goods and/or services to state agencies and authorities.

DEFINITION OF A MINORITY OWNED BUSINESS

A minority-owned business is a for-profit enterprise, regardless of size, physically located in the United States or its trust territories, which is owned, operated and controlled by minority group members. "Minority group members" are United States citizens who are Asian, Black, Hispanic, and/or Native American.

Ownership by minority individuals means the business is at least 51% owned by such individuals or, in the case of a publicly-owned business, at least 51% of the stock is owned by one or more such individuals. Further, the management and daily operations are controlled by those minority group members.

NEW YORK STATE MINORITY BUSINESS CERTIFICATION

Certification is done at the local or regional level. The NMSDC (National Minority Supplier Development Council) and its affiliates do charge a non-refundable application fee. Certification must be renewed each year along with payment of an annual fee.

The following business certification applications (in PDF format) are available from Nylovesbiz.com:

How To Become A Certified Minority Business Enterprise in New York State »

New York State Certification Application »

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