As a result of the federal government’s clear directives against Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion that put the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (“DBE”), 8(a) Business Development Program, Woman-Owned Small Business (“WOSB”), and Veteran-Owned Small Business (“VOSB”) at peril, this is the second in a series of blogs that will discuss alternative, non-federal government certifications available to businesses.
The Arab American Business Council (“AABC”) provides a Minority Business Enterprise (“MBE”) Certification for businesses that are at least 51% owned and operated by American Citizens of Arab, Middle Eastern, and North African (“MENA”) heritage. This certification fills a hole left by other MBE certifications (such as through the National Minority Supplier Diversity Council) and the DBE certification, as those certifications do not consider individuals of MENA heritage to be minorities. According to the AABC, the MENA designation “includes 22 Arab countries, as well as peripheral non-Arabic speaking countries like Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Turkiye. MENA can also encompass transnational ethnic and linguistic groups such as, Armenian, Assyrian/Syriac, Bedouin, Chaldean, Druze, Kurdish, and Yazidi.”
The AABC MBE certification is modeled after other certifications. Applicants will be required to submit a lot of documentation about their business, as well as evidence of the applicant owner’s ethnicity (such as a foreign passport, long form original birth certification, parent’s birth/death certificate). After all of the documentation is submitted, AABC will conduct a formal interview with the applicant owner prior to approval.
The AABC MBE certification is also newer, having first soft launched in June of 2023. However, it appears to be gaining traction, and fills a void left by the limitations of other MBE certifications that historically have omitted these groups.
