Small Business
To qualify as small business, a business concern eligible for assistance from SBA as a small business is one that is organized for profit, with a place of business located in the United States. It must operate primarily within the United States or make a significant contribution to the U.S. economy through payment of taxes or use of American products, materials or labor. Together with its affiliates, it must meet the numerical size standards as defined in the Small Business Size Regulations, 13 CFR 121. To determine the size standard of your business, visit the Small Business Administration (SBA) at http://www.sba.gov/size/.

Minority Business Enterprise (MBE)
To qualify as an MBE, the firm must be 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. 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, those minority group members control the management and daily operations.

• Asian-Indian: A U.S. citizen whose origins are from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
• Asian-Pacific: A U.S. citizen whose origins are from Japan, China, Taiwan, Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, the Philippines, Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Trust Territories of the Pacific, or the Northern Marianas.
• African-American: A U.S. citizen having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa.
• Hispanic: A U.S. citizen of true-born Hispanic heritage, from 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 an American Indian, Eskimo, Aleut, or Native Hawaiian, and regarded as such by the community of which the person claims to be a part. Native American must be documented members of a North American tribe, band or otherwise organized group of native people who are indigenous to the continental United States and proof can be provided through a Native American Blood Degree Certificate (i.e., tribal registry letter, tribal roll register number).

If your business is not currently (MBE) certified, you can contact the National Minority Supplier Development Council http://www.nmsdcus.org or one of its regional affiliates.

Women Business Enterprise (WBE)
To qualify as an WBE, the firm must be a for-profit enterprise, regardless of size, physically located in the United States or its trust territories, which is owned, operated and controlled by a woman or women members. Ownership by female 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 the woman or women members.

If your business is not currently (WBE) certified, you can contact the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council http://www.wbenc.org.

Veteran-Owned Business (VOB)
Business must meet the requirements as a Small Business. It must be at least 51% owned and controlled by a U.S. Veteran or Veterans possessing a discharge other than dishonorable.

HUBZone
To participate in HUBZone Empowerment Contracting Program, a concern must be determined to be a “qualified HUBZone small business concern.” A firm can be found to be a qualified HUBZone concern, if:

• It is small;
• It is located in an “historically-underutilized business zone” (HUBZone);
• It is owned and controlled by one or more U.S. Citizens; and
• At least 35% of its employees reside in a HUBZone.