New York is one of a handful of states that runs its own MBE certification program independent of the federal system. If you own a minority-owned business in New York, you can pursue two separate certifications that open different markets: the state-level MBE through Empire State Development (ESD) and the corporate-facing MBE through the New York and New Jersey Minority Supplier Development Council (NYNJ MSDC), an NMSDC regional affiliate. Most businesses eventually want both. They serve different buyers, require different paperwork, and have different renewal cycles.
Who Certifies MBEs in New York
State program: Empire State Development's Division of Minority and Women's Business Development (MWBD) administers the New York State MBE certification. This certification qualifies you for state agency contracts, SUNY/CUNY procurement, and public authority contracts that fall under New York's Article 15-A requirements.
Corporate program: The NYNJ Minority Supplier Development Council certifies businesses seeking contracts from Fortune 500 corporations and large regional employers. NYNJ MSDC is one of 23 regional councils affiliated with the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC). This certification does not help with state government contracts, but it does open doors at companies like JPMorgan Chase, Verizon, and Pfizer, which use NMSDC membership to source minority suppliers.
Choose based on where your revenue opportunity actually is. A construction subcontractor working on public school projects needs the ESD certification. A staffing firm selling to corporate procurement needs NMSDC. Most founders who qualify should pursue both.
Who Qualifies
New York State ESD MBE
To qualify for the state program, your business must meet all of the following:
- At least 51% owned and controlled by one or more U.S. citizens or permanent resident aliens who are members of a minority group
- The minority owner(s) must exercise day-to-day operational and management control
- The business must be for-profit and physically located in New York State, or have a significant business presence in New York
- New York State defines minority groups as: Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaskan Native
There is no revenue cap for the state MBE program, which distinguishes it from some federal small business programs. A $50M company can still qualify if ownership and control requirements are met.
NYNJ MSDC (NMSDC) MBE
NMSDC uses the same ownership threshold (51%) and the same four ethnic categories as New York State. The control requirement is functionally identical: the minority owner must manage day-to-day operations and hold the highest officer title. NMSDC does have a revenue cap — businesses with annual revenues exceeding $750 million are ineligible, a limit that affects almost no one applying for the first time.
One difference: NMSDC requires U.S. citizenship specifically, not permanent residency. Check this requirement carefully if the primary owner holds a green card rather than citizenship.
Required Documents
Both programs require substantial documentation. Gather these before you start either application.
Business formation documents: - Articles of incorporation, operating agreement, or partnership agreement - Certificates of good standing from New York Department of State - Bylaws (if incorporated)
Ownership evidence: - Stock certificates or ownership ledger showing exact percentages - Buy-sell agreements or shareholder agreements
Financial records: - Three years of business tax returns (federal and state) - Most recent year-end financial statements - Business bank statements (typically three months)
Identity and background: - Personal tax returns for all owners with 10%+ ownership (three years) - Government-issued photo ID for all minority owners - Proof of U.S. citizenship or permanent residency (birth certificate, passport, naturalization certificate, or green card)
Operational evidence: - Business licenses and permits - Lease agreement or proof of business address - Organizational chart showing reporting structure - Resumes or bios for all owners and key officers
Additional items ESD may request: - W-2s or 1099s for the last three years - Proof of capital contributions made by minority owners - Meeting minutes if the business is a corporation
NYNJ MSDC additionally requires a signed NMSDC certification agreement and may conduct a site visit to verify your business location and operations, particularly for manufacturing or construction businesses.
Application Process and Timeline
New York State ESD MBE
- Register in New York's Statewide Financial System Vendor Portal. Before applying to ESD, you must obtain a Vendor ID through the SFS portal at sfs.ny.gov. This is a state procurement prerequisite, not the certification itself. Allow 2-3 business days.
- Complete the online application at ESD's Empire State Certified Business Portal. The application collects business details, ownership demographics, and certifications held elsewhere.
- Upload all required documents. Incomplete submissions are the most common reason for delays. ESD reviewers will not contact you to request missing items; they will simply return the application.
- ESD reviews the application. Standard processing time is 90 to 120 days. Complex ownership structures or businesses with multiple owners can take longer.
- Site visit (if requested). ESD may visit your place of business to verify operational control. This is more common for construction, manufacturing, and transportation businesses.
- Certification decision. ESD will issue a Certificate of MBE Certification valid for two years.
Cost: No application fee for the New York State ESD MBE program.
Renewal: Every two years. Renewal requires updated documentation showing continued eligibility.
NYNJ MSDC (NMSDC)
- Create an account at nynj.org and complete the online application through NMSDC's certification portal.
- Pay the application fee. NYNJ MSDC charges an annual membership fee on a sliding scale based on revenue. For businesses under $1M in annual revenue, the fee is approximately $400. Businesses with $1M-$5M in revenue pay roughly $550-$750. Fees are updated periodically; confirm the current schedule at nynj.org before applying.
- Upload required documentation. NMSDC's requirements overlap significantly with ESD's, so if you've already assembled that package, the incremental work is minimal.
- Interview with a certification officer. NYNJ MSDC typically conducts a phone or video interview to verify that the minority owner exercises genuine operational control.
- Site visit. Scheduled after the interview for most applicants.
- Certification decision. NMSDC targets a 90-day processing window; actual timelines vary.
Renewal: Annual. Renewing members pay the same sliding-scale fee and submit updated financials.
What Contracts It Opens
State procurement
New York State has a 30% utilization goal for MWBEs (minority and women-owned businesses combined) on state contracts. Under Executive Law Article 15-A, state agencies and public authorities must establish MWBE participation goals on applicable contracts. The Office of General Services publishes contract awards and agency MWBE utilization rates annually.
In practice, this means that prime contractors bidding on state contracts are required to include MWBE subcontracting plans, and your ESD certification makes you eligible to count toward those goals. It also qualifies you to bid directly as a prime on set-aside opportunities.
New York City runs a separate program through the NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS). City agency contracts have their own MBE goals and use a different certification database. If your market is primarily New York City government, you need the NYC SBS certification in addition to or instead of the state ESD certification.
Corporate procurement
NMSDC certification makes you searchable in the NMSDC national database, which corporate procurement teams at member companies use to find certified suppliers. NYNJ MSDC's corporate members include major New York-area employers across financial services, healthcare, media, and professional services. NMSDC also publishes annual Tier-2 spending data, which prime contractors use to report diverse subcontractor spend to their corporate customers.
Stacking with Federal Certifications
New York State MBE certification does not substitute for any federal certification. The federal programs (8(a), WOSB, SDVOSB, HUBZone) are administered by the SBA and have separate applications, eligibility requirements, and approval processes. Federal contract set-asides require federal certification.
That said, the documentation overlap is significant. If you've assembled your three years of tax returns, ownership documentation, and corporate formation paperwork for ESD, most of that package transfers directly to federal applications. The SBA uses a separate portal (certify.sba.gov) and conducts its own review, but the underlying evidence is the same.
Businesses that serve both state and federal markets commonly hold an ESD MBE alongside an SBA 8(a) or WOSB certification. The certifications do not conflict, and holding multiple certifications does not create any administrative burden beyond maintaining renewals.
Using CertifyAll
If the documentation requirements above look like a project, they are. Assembling formation documents, tax returns, ownership ledgers, and signed agreements from multiple parties takes time even when everything is in order. Discrepancies between what you submit and what reviewers expect are the most common source of delays and outright denials.
CertifyAll at /certifyall/ handles the application process for you. You provide your business information and documents once; the service prepares the application package, reviews it for completeness, and submits to the relevant certifying body. For a business pursuing both the ESD state certification and NMSDC, that means one intake instead of two separate processes.
The flat fee is $399, or $299 for premium subscribers. That covers all qualifying certifications, not just one.
