Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) & Women Business Enterprise (WBE) Program

MINORITY OR WOMEN BUSINESS ENTERPRISE (MBE/WBE) - A small business concern which is at least fifty-one percent (51%) owned and controlled by one or more socially and economically disadvantaged individuals or in the case of a publicly owned business, at least fifty-one (51%) of the stock of which is owned by one or more socially and economically disadvantaged individuals; and whose management and daily business operations are controlled by one or more such individuals. "Socially and economically disadvantaged individuals" are individuals who are citizens or lawful permanent residents of the United States the following groups are presumed to be both socially and economically disadvantaged: Members of a definable minority group means a person who is a citizen or lawful permanent resident of the United States and who is:

Category	Definitions
Black	All persons having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa.
Hispanic	All persons of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.
American Indian/Alaskan Native	All persons having origins in any of the original peoples of North America.
Asian American	All persons having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast, Southeast Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, or the Pacific Islands.
Portuguese	All persons of Portuguese, Brazilian or other Portuguese culture or origin regardless of race.
Women	Any female qualifies as a class of minority.
Disadvantaged	Members of other groups or other individuals, found to be economically and socially disadvantaged by the small Business Administration under Section 8 (a) of the Small business Act, as amended (15 U.S.C. Chapter 637 (a)).

Under Each Certification Category, Ownership Must Be Real, Substantial and Continuing. The Applicant Must Have and Exercise the Authority to Independently Control the Business Decisions of the Enterprise.

Eligibility

Minority Business Enterprise Program Mission Statement:

A small business concern which is at least fifty-one percent (51%) owned and controlled by one or more socially and economically disadvantaged individuals or in the case of a publicly owned business, at least fifty-one (51%) of the stock of which is owned by one or more socially and economically disadvantaged individuals; and whose management and daily business operations are controlled by one or more such individuals.



To apply for MBE certification, businesses must be owned and controlled by one or more minorities or women.

Forms and Applications

Firms seeking certification as an MBE and/or WBE must complete and submit the following certification documents. Please note that firms located outside of Rhode Island must be certified by their home state certifying agency prior to submitting an application to Rhode Island. Do not place applications in binders or include any extraneous documents such as dividers, tabs, an index, etc., as these documents will only be discarded.

Completed applications should be forwarded to:

mbe.compliance@doa.ri.gov

• Rhode Island General Law 37-14.1 which relates to Minority Business Enterprise
• 13 CFR 121
• 13 CFR 124
• 49 CFR 26