Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) definition

A term used in the United States, referring to a company that’s at least 51 percent owned, managed and operated by at least one of the following groups:

• African Americans
• Hispanic Americans, although not of the Iberian peninsula
• Asian Americans, including West Asian and East Asian Americans
• Native Americans including Aleuts

Minority business enterprises are typically certified by a city, state or federal agency, with the main certifier being the National Minority Supplier Development Council. MBEs can self-identify but this will not lead to official certification.