Who Can Participate

For each of the business enterprises listed below, majority ownership is defined as being at least 51 percent owned, operated, managed, and controlled by the individuals making up the business enterprise type. In the case of publicly-owned businesses, at least 51 percent of the stock is owned by one or more such individuals. The principal place of business must be in the United States. Further, majority ownership must include individuals who are U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents.

Minority Business Enterprise Ethnicities

• African American: ethnic origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa
• Asian-Pacific American: ethnic origins in Japan, China, Taiwan, Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, the Philippines, Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Trust Territories of the Pacific, or the Northern Mariana Islands
• Asian-Indian American: ethnic origins in India, Pakistan, or Bangladesh
• Hispanic American/Latino: ethnic origins in any of the Spanish speaking areas of Latin America or the following regions: Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean basin only
• Native American: a person who is American Indian, Eskimo, Aleutian or native Hawaiian and regarded as such by the community of which she or he claims membership