Minority Suppliers

Certified Minority Supplier Benefits

Your certification with the San Diego Regional MSDC provides you with valuable resources to help your business grow and succeed. The San Diego Regional MSDC offers your business an excellent opportunity to meet with corporate buyers who are interested in working with qualified MBEs. We offer many formal and informal venues to meet with corporate buyers, learn about state and local opportunities, and expand your professional network. MBEs greatly benefit from being certified with the largest national organization whose certification is recognized uniformly by corporate America. Becoming certified also opens up opportunities and speeds up the sales process in a very competitive global market place.

Benefits of becoming a Certified Minority Supplier:

• Expanded business opportunities. More than two-thirds of MBEs confirm an increase in revenues as a result of partnership with corporate members.
• Local, regional and national referrals of minority business to member corporations.
• Exposure to about 3,600 leading national, regional and local companies.
• Access to corporate buyers with contact information.
• Listing in the San Diego Regional MSDC and National Minority Supplier Development Council MBE computer database (MBISYS).
• Participation in education programs and workshops to assist in personal and professional growth.
• Opportunities to network with corporate members at various San Diego Regional MSDC events and activities.
• Second tier and MBE to MBE business opportunities.

Certification Criteria

To become a Certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), your business must meet the following requirements. Both current and historical facts are considered in determining ownership qualifications and participation in the management and operations of the company.

• Your business is a for-profit enterprise.
• Your business is physically located in the United States or its trust territories.
• Your business is at least 51% ethnic minority owned. Ethnic minority owned is defined as any business having owner(s) belonging to the following minority groups: African-American, Hispanic-American, Native American, Asian and Pacific Islander American (Asian-Indian included).
• The minority/ethnic owner(s) of the business are U.S. citizens.
• The minority/ethnic owner(s) of the business must be active in management and daily business operations.

How to Get Certified

Applying for MBE certification with the San Diego Regional MSDC, consists of the steps below. The certification process can take 30 and up to 90 days.
(See: An illustration of the process.)

• Filling out the online certification application. Certification starts with the online application. You may take as long as necessary to complete the application. Your information will be saved for your next session and is completely confidential.
• Pay for your application fee. You may pay by credit card or send a check. The processing of your application will begin when payment is received. Council certification fee is $500.00.
• Sending required documentation through postal mail. The San Diego Regional MSDC requires specific documents to complete the certification process. The documentation must be sent through postal mail.
• Application and documents are reviewed for completeness.
• Conducting Site Visit. The San Diego Regional MSDC will perform a site visit to review your business premises and conduct a personal interview of the owner(s). This step is performed by a certification specialist and the applicant.
• Committee Review. The certification committee meets regularly to review applications for MBE certification. The certification committee must approve the application before it can be submitted to the Board for final approval.
• Board Review. The Board will review the certification committee's recommendation and make the final decision. If the board rejects the application, the applicant may submit a letter of appeal. If approved, you will be notified by e-mail and postal mail.

CONFIDENTIALITY

The applicant information and documents submitted for certification are kept in the strictest confidence. Information is shared only to the extent necessary to make certification determinations and be responsive to member business/contract opportunities. All Certification Committee members, Council Staff and Directors are bound by these confidentiality requirements. Every attempt is made to protect the confidentiality of the applicants’ information.

All board and committee members sign a confidentiality agreement as part of the requirements for sitting on these committees. Staff also signs a confidentiality agreement upon employment to keep confidential information safe and not disclose to anyone any proprietary information while employed and anytime after termination of employment with the San Diego Regional MSDC.

Certification records and documents are stored in locked files in our office and are generally not carried outside our office. Privacy is important to us and we make every reasonable effort to protect the confidentiality of pertinent documents.

Reciprocal MBE Status

As an active Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), you may apply for Reciprocal Service Status with any of the affiliate councils. Obtaining Reciprocal Service with affiliate councils provides a means for an MBE to expand its business by providing an opportunity to meet with affiliated corporate buyers and MBEs and expanding its professional network.

Once certified, the MBE is not required to certify again with the affiliate council. Instead, the MBE can apply for Reciprocal Service. However, the MBE is required to maintain its active status with its home council. Just as Minority Certification requires an annual renewal to maintain an active status, Reciprocal Service also requires an annual renewal. Check with the affiliate council for reciprocal fees and other details.

For Affiliate MBES

If you are an active Certified MBE with one of our affiliates and you want to apply for reciprocal service with the San Diego Regional Minority Supplier Development Council, you may be able to apply with us by submitting a Reciprocal Service Request from your home council's portal. The list of affiliate councils below provide this service to their MBEs.

 

• Carolinas Minority Supplier Development Council (CarolinasMSDC)
• Chicago Minority Supplier Development Council (CMSDC)
• Dallas/Fort Worth Minority Supplier Development Council (DFWMSDC)
• Houston Minority Supplier Development Council (HMSDC)
• Louisiana Minority Supplier Development Council (LAMSDC)
• MidAmerica Minority Business Development Council (MAMBDC)
• Midwest Minority Supplier Development Council (MMSDC)
• National Affiliate Portal QA (NAPQA)
• Northwest Minority Supplier Development Council (NWMSDC)
• Open Systens NAP Training Site (OSNTS)
• PA-NJ-DE Minority Supplier Development Council (PA-NJ-DE MSDC)
• San Diego Regional Minority Supplier Development Council (SDRMSDC)
• South Region Minority Supplier Development Council (SRMSDC)

If your home council is not listed above, you can still apply for reciprocal service with the San Diego Regional Minority Supplier Development Council by filling out the Reciprocal Service Application.

Send the completed application and the $500.00 processing fee to:

San Diego Regional Minority Supplier Development Council
9903 Businesspark Avenue, Suite 105
San Diego, CA 92131

Contact Us if you are an active MBE with the San Diego Regional Minority Supplier Development Council and are interested in Reciprocal Service with one of our affiliate councils.