Minority and Women's Business Development, Division of

The Division of Minority and Women's Business Development is responsible for encouraging the growth and state use of minority and women-owned business enterprises (M/WBEs). The state believes that such firms have, up to the present, been unfairly denied state contracts or subcontracts either due to outright discrimination or because such firms have been unable to effectively establish their operations when in competition with majority-owned firms. The division conducts activities in three major areas: advocating the development and growth of qualified businesses by representing their interests within the state; providing direct and indirect services to assist qualified firms with start-up, management, and expansion of operations; and increasing the participation of qualified businesses in procurement opportunities.

The division works with state agencies to establish flexible goals to encourage agency use of qualified firms and then monitors agency achievement of these goals. The division certifies firms as qualified so that they can maximize their opportunities to seek business in their capacity as minority or women-owned and it also mediates conflicts between agencies and contractors over compliance with agreements to utilize M/WBEs. The division's Agency Services Bureau monitors the goal plans and quarterly reports while the Program Analysis and Information Services Bureau provides analytical support to the division as a whole.