What is the Minority Business Enterprise Program?
In 1978, the General Assembly enacted legislation to create a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) Program to encourage minority-owned firms to participate in the State procurement process. Current MBE law requires agencies to structure their procurements to try to achieve an overall minimum of 25% of the total dollar value of their procurement contracts directly or indirectly from certified MBE firms. It further requires that agencies attempt to achieve a minimum of 7% of the total dollar value of their procurement contracts directly or indirectly from certified African-American-owned businesses and 10% of the total dollar value of their procurement contracts directly or indirectly from certified women-owned MBE firms. In furtherance of the State’s MBE initiative, each State agency reviews and assesses its procurements for supplies, services, maintenance, construction and architectural/engineering contracts to determine an MBE participation goal appropriate for each contract.
