[1] MBEs can self-identify, but are typically certified by a city, state or federal agency.
[2] Certain states within the United States, as a part of their bidding process, incentivize MBEs and women-owned business enterprises to bid on publicly awarded construction or service contracts.
They may also declare that a percentage of the work performed on a contract be awarded to a MBE or women-owned business enterprise.
[8] In 2014, when New York increased its Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) goals for public contracts from 20% to 30%, the Association of General Contractors (AGC) sued the state for failing to release documents via New York's Freedom of Information Law (FOIL).
The AGC was concerned that the state had not conducted a proper contract analysis before declaring the increase of the MWBE goal to 30%.