The Nassau County Office of Minority Affairs works to expand economic, employment, and business opportunities for minority residents of Nassau County. For business owners, its most important role is running the county’s Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) certification program.
Certified businesses are listed in a county directory used by Nassau County agencies and their contractors, which can open the door to government procurement and subcontracting work. The office also administers Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business (SDVOB) programs and offers vendor trainings and workshops.
Certification is a good fit for businesses at least 51% owned, operated, and controlled by women or minority group members that want to compete for county contracts or work with prime contractors that have diversity goals.
Businesses generally need to have been operating for at least a year, and owners must meet personal net worth and size limits. The application requires documentation of ownership and control, and county certification is separate from New York State MWBE certification through Empire State Development, so firms seeking state contracts should apply there as well.
For Nassau County women- and minority-owned businesses, county certification is a practical first step into public contracting.