New York State Certification

To obtain information on becoming certified in New York State as a minority- or women-owned business, contact the Department of Economic Development's Division of Minority and Women's Business Development, 30 South Pearl Street, Albany, NY 12245, (518) 292-5250, or 633 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017-6706, (212) 803-2200. A helpful website to visit is http://www.ogs.state.ny.us/mwbe/default.asp.

Click here to download a PDF of the Empire State Division of Minority and Women's Business Development's document entitled "How To Become A Certified Minority / Women Business Enterprise In New York State."

Click here to download an application for New York State Certification.

Federal Certification

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) administers the federal government's minority certification program. There are two programs; both require that the majority owner of the business be both socially and economically disadvantaged.

• The Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Section 8(a) Business Development Program is designed to assist socially and economically disadvantaged business owners. Eligibility requirements are outlined in Title 13, Code of Federal Regulations, (CFR) Part 124. Please visit www.sba.gov/library. To obtain an application, please visit www.sba.gov/8abd.
• The SBA’s Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) Program is a procurement tool designed to assist the Federal Government in identifying firms that are capable of providing needed goods and services. SDB is also designed to assist socially and economically disadvantaged business owners. For more information about SDB or to obtain an application, please visit: www.sba.gov/sdb.