Press Room November 2011

You’ve heard of Black Friday. And Cyber Monday. But did you know that this Saturday is Small Business Saturday? We’re encouraging everyone to visit a small business to do some holiday shopping this Saturday.

As President Obama said in a message out to all Small Business Saturday supporters:

Minority businesses that have more than $1 million in revenue will be eligible for assistance at the new Minority Business Development Agency, which aims to help such companies secure more than $21 million in annual contracts and more than $9 million each year in capital.

The U.S. Commerce Department reportedly opened a Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) in Minneapolis this week in an effort to help grow minority businesses within the state.

According to the Star Tribune, the MBDA will be run by the Metropolitan Economic Development Association (MEDA) under a five-year contract that’s expected to net $30 million annually and hundreds of jobs for Minnesota’s minority-owned firms.

Last month, the council that establishes regulations on federal acquisitions published a proposed rule to catch up its regulations on small disadvantaged businesses with changes in law. Some have asked whether this rule signals a pullback in our commitment to these businesses. Let’s be clear: this “housekeeping” effort will have no impact on the government’s ability or commitment to drive contracting opportunities for small disadvantaged businesses – opportunities this Administration has pursued aggressively since day one.

The Metropolitan Economic Development Association will operate new center

WASHINGTON D.C. (November 9, 2011) - The Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) today announced that the Metropolitan Economic Development Association of Minneapolis, Minn. was awarded a cooperative agreement totaling $1.75 million to operate a new MBDA Federal Procurement Center (FPC) located in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The cooperative agreement will be for a period of five years, from fiscal year 2011 through fiscal year 2015.

The Federal Procurement Center will serve the minority business community nationwide in order to better position them to access and obtain federal procurement awards, which includes prime and sub contracts.  The MBDA Business Centers have garnered great success since being created, and establishing a Minority Business Center focused solely on federal procurement is part of the Obama Administration’s commitment to ensuring that all U.S. businesses share in the jobs and opportunities created by federal government activities.

At a press conference on Tuesday, the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) celebrated the grand opening of the NY– Manhattan MBDA Business Center (NYCMBC). Suzette C. Bather, project director of the center, gave the opening remarks, followed by Heyward B. Davenport, MBDA Northeast Regional Director who acknowledged and introduced speakers of the evening, MBDA National Director David A. Hinson, and President & CEO of the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC), John Taylor.