To qualify for MBE Certification, a business must be at least 51% owned, operated, and controlled by an American ethnic minority group member that is a U. S. citizen, physically located in the Chicagoland area and Northwest Indiana, and authorized by the State and County to do business. Minority status constitutes anyone belonging to one of following ethnic groups:
- Asian-Indian*
- Asian-Pacific*
- Black*
- Hispanic*
- Native American*
For purposes of NMSDC’s program, a minority group member is an individual who is a U.S. citizen (not a green card holder) with at least 1/4 or 25% minimum (documentation to support claim of 25% required from applicant) of the following:
Ethnic Groups |
Eligible |
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, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, the Philippines, Thailand, Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Trust Territories of the Pacific or the Northern Marianas. |
Black |
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 the following regions: Mexico, Central America, South America and the Caribbean Basin only. Brazilians shall be listed under Hispanic designation for review and Certification purposes. |
Native American |
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 Americans 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). |
**NMSDC’s definition of Sole Proprietorship is a company owned/operated 100% by one (1) individual or married couple. Split ownership does not constitute Sole Proprietorship.
*Groups NOT certifiable (not limited to):
Region |
Not Eligible |
Iberian Peninsula |
Spain, Portugal |
Asia Minor Region |
Peninsula between the Black Sea & the Mediterranean |
Persian Gulf |
Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, etc. (e.g. Middle East) |
Europe |
Entire European continent |
Northern Africa |
Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Algeria, etc. (e.g. Saharan region) |