Nominations are due June 15 for MBDA Minority Enterprise Development Week Awards

Your chance to celebrate the outstanding achievements of minority entrepreneurs, organizations and individuals that have demonstrated their commitment to advancing minority business enterprises is quickly approaching! June 15 is the deadline to submit a nomination for the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) National Minority Enterprise Development Week Awards.

These prestigious honors are presented during MBDA’s National Minority Enterprise Development Week—September 12-18, 2021—and celebrate the outstanding achievements of minority entrepreneurs, as well as individuals and organizations demonstrating outstanding commitments as advocates for the minority business community.

Submit a nomination at https://my.reviewr.com/mbda/site/MedWeek_Awards_2021

Since 1969, the MBDA has been instrumental in fostering the growth and global competitiveness of the Nation’s minority-owned businesses. From an estimated 300,000 minority-owned firms in 1969 to more than nine million today, MBDA has led the way in gaining public recognition of the achievements and economic contributions of minority-owned firms. The MBDA National Minority Enterprise Development Week Awards are the highest level of national recognition that a U.S. minority-owned firm can receive by the U.S. Department of Commerce. These prestigious awards, bestowed during National Minority Enterprise Development Week (MED Week), celebrate the outstanding achievements of minority entrepreneurs, as well as the individuals and organizations that have demonstrated their commitment to advancing minority business enterprises

Awards are presented in three primary groups, each with multiple award categories:

* Minority Firms of the Year | 9 industry-specific awards

* Champions of Business Development | 3 awards

* Individual Recognition | 2 awards

MBDA encourages nominations from chambers of commerce, business and trade associations, prime contractors, federal, state and local government agencies, and individual business owners. Self-nominations are also welcomed. Award categories, qualification criteria, and nomination submission instructions are available on MBDA’s website, http://www.mbda.gov.

The 2021 MED Week award winners are scheduled to be announced in September, with honorees receiving their awards during the National MED Week Conference. This year, President Joe Biden will issue a proclamation declaring September 12-18, 2021 as National Minority Enterprise Week to coincide with MBDA’s 2021 National MED Week. This declaration will even further elevate the visibility of minority businesses and amplify the importance of the economic and social contributions minority entrepreneurs make in communities across our Nation.

The MED Week Conference, presented again this year in a virtual format, centers around the theme of “Reimaging Opportunity” with programming showcasing the endless possibilities ahead for the minority business community. A variety of sponsorship packages for MBDA’s 2021 National MED Week Conference and Awards are available, offering a range of high-visibility options to demonstrate support for minority businesses and economic inclusion.