New York State's Division of Minority - and Women-owned Business Development (MWBD) helps the state's minority and women's business community to access all the services offered by Empire State Development (ESD).

The mission of the Division of Minority and Women’s Business Development is to encourage and assist state agencies in their efforts to increase participation by minority and women-owned business enterprises (MWBEs) on state contracts so as to facilitate the award of a fair share of such contracts to MWBEs.  To that end, the DMWBD is responsible for conducting educational programs, maintaining New York State’s MWBE certification program, measuring the State’s success as it relates to the level of MWBE participation in state contracts, and enhancing MWBE business development opportunities.

We Can Provide:

• Access to Capital
  • Offers access to ESD and other financial assistance for established businesses, leveraging capital to achieve the best results at a lower cost
  • Offers the Minority and Women Revolving Loan Trust Fund Program that provides low-cost financial assistance to minority- and women-owned businesses that are unable to access traditional financial services.

• Minority - and women-owned business certification
  • Enables entrance into programs designed to assist Minority - and Women-owned Business Enterprise firms statewide.
  • Administers and offers lists of New York State MWBD firms to interested prime contractors to use in realizing sub- contracting goals.
  • Directory of Minority- and women-owned business enterprises.

• Minority - and women-owned procurement assistance
  • Offers guidance on specialized selling opportunities to state and federal government agencies.

• Transportation Capital Assistance Program
  • Provides government contractor loans to MWBEs and small business enterprises that have transportation-related government contracts under NYS Department of Transportation.
  • Makes loans accessible from $20,000 to $500,000.