To be eligible to participate in Mecklenburg County's Minority, Women and Small Business Enterprises Program a business must meet certain criteria. These criteria are:

The business must be 51% owned and operated by a minority, woman, or small business owner that is a citizen or lawful permanent resident of the United States. The following definitions apply:

• Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) is defined as a business that is owned, operated, and controlled by one or more minority group members including:

1. African American
2. Hispanic/Latino American
3. Asian American
4. Native American

• Women Business Enterprise (WBE) is defined as a business that is owned, operated, and controlled by one or more non-minority females.

• Small Business Enterprise (SBE) is defined as a business that is owned, operated, and controlled by one or more eligible owners and is 25% or less of the applicable size standards established by the Small Business Administration (SBA). See SBA's Table of Small Business Size Standards.

• The business must be certified through the City of Charlotte's certification process.