MED Week Awards Program Brochure

Minority Enterprise Development

2010 Awards Program Brochure

OVERVIEW

The Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) at the U.S. Department of Commerce is the only federal agency dedicated exclusively to fostering the establishment and growth of minority businesses in the United States. MBDA and its network of business centers serve minority entrepreneurs who are pursuing growth in size, scale and capacity. In doing so, minority firms are better positioned to create new jobs, impact local economies and expand into national and global marketplaces.

The MED Week Awards Program is designed to celebrate and recognize the outstanding achievements of minority entrepreneurs, as well as individuals and organizations that have demonstrated leadership and commitment in advancing minority business enterprise. The diversity of the awardees, as it pertains to the constituency served by MBDA, is a key objective of the MED Week Awards Program.

The awards are commemorative and will be given in the following categories: Minority Construction Firm of the Year, Minority Manufacturer of the Year, Minority Retail or Service Firm of the Year, Minority Technology Firm of the Year, Minority Supplier Distributor of the Year, Advocate of the Year, Media Award, Distinguished Supplier Diversity Award, Access to Capital Award, Ronald H. Brown Leadership Award and Abe Venable Legacy Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Regional Awards will be given in all categories, except the Ronald H. Brown Leadership Award and the Abe Venable Legacy Award for Lifetime Achievement, in ceremonies in MBDA’s Atlanta, Dallas, Chicago, New York and San Francisco regions, respectively. National MED Week Awards, which include all of the awards referenced above, will be given at the annual MED Week Awards Gala held in Washington, D.C.

MBDA will contact winners by phone and may post their names, pictures and biographies on the MBDA (www.mbda.gov) and MED Week (www.medweek.gov) websites.

Complete electronic or paper nominations must be received by the appropriate MBDA regional or headquarters office no later than TBD.

If you have any questions regarding the MED Week Awards Program please contact the appropriate MED Week Coordinator at the number referenced in the instructions or Stephen Boykin of MBDA’s Office of Legislative, Education and Intergovernmental Affairs, at (202) 482-1712 or via email at sboykin@mbda.gov.

KEY TIMEFRAMES

2010 MBDA AWARDS PROGRAM

TBD...................................................Deadline For Receipt of Nominations

TBD.....................................Regional Winners Expected to be Announced

TBD..................................... National Winners Expected to be Announced

MINORITY ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT (MED) WEEK 2010 AWARD NOMINATION FORM

Award Category: ______________________________________________________________

I. NOMINEE INFORMATION

Name/Title of Nominee: _________________________________________________________

Street Address of Business: ______________________________________________________

City, State, Zip Code: ___________________________________________________________

Nominee Contact Person/Telephone: ______________________________________________

Email Address of Nominee: ______________________________________________________

Fax No. ______________________________________________________________________

Web Address: _________________________________________________________________

Type of Organization/Business (Brief description) ___________________________________

Congressional District(s) of Nominee: _____________________________________________

Is the individual nominee a member of a minority served by MBDA or is the business nominee (as the case may be) owned or controlled by one or more minority persons served by MBDA? Please refer to the Nominee Eligibility section on page 6 of this package for a listing of the minorities served by MBDA.

______ (Yes or No)

If yes, please identify the minority or minorities represented ___________________________

II. NOMINATOR INFORMATION

Nominator’s Name: ___________________________________________________________
Title: _______________________________________________________________________
Organization/Business: ________________________________________________________
Address: ____________________________________________________________________
Fax No. _____________________________________________________________________
Telephone No: _______________________________________________________________
E-mail Address:
I certify that to the best of my knowledge the substantive statements in this application are true and accurate. Nominator signature and Date ______________________________________________________

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING NOMINATIONS

• Nomination packages are distributed by MBDA to its funded organizations, non-governmental organizations and to other interested parties. The nomination package will also be accessible via the MBDA (www.mbda.gov) and the MED Week (www.medweek.gov) websites.

• Nominations may be submitted by individuals or organizations in any category applicable, and may be submitted for more than one award category. Self-nominations are also permitted. In addition, nominations may be submitted by MBDA staff or by representatives of MBDA funded projects. However, nominations may not be submitted by members of the regional or headquarters review panels or by MBDA Selecting Officials.

• Nominations should address the specific evaluation criterion applicable to the award category. Narratives should be thorough and concise, but should not exceed five pages total.

• The nomination package is comprised of: (1) the nomination form; (2) narratives addressing the specific evaluation criterion; and (3) a biography of the nominee or an overview of the organization (as applicable).

• Do not include any additional material, such as promotional materials, annual reports, etc., unless the question for the applicable category specifically calls for it.

• Do not submit photographs. Category winners will be asked to provide this item after the selection process is completed.

• Nomination packages may be sent by U.S. mail, courier service, or by electronic mail. The complete nomination package must be sent using only one of these methods. Nominees are advised that security screening could delay the delivery of U.S. mail. Delivery by a courier service or by electronic mail is therefore recommended.

• Nominations for all MED Week awards, with the exception of the Ronald H. Brown Leadership Award and the Abe Venable Legacy Award for Lifetime Achievement, should be sent or e-mailed to the appropriate MBDA regional office listed below, based on the nominee’s principal place of business or residence. In addition, please contact the appropriate MED Week Coordinator should you have any questions.

• MBDA San Francisco National Enterprise Center

221 Main Street, San Francisco, CA 94105

Attention: Albert Eskanazi, (415) 744-3001

Email: aeskanazi@mbda.gov

Nominations from: Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and Washington

• MBDA Chicago National Enterprise Center

55 E. Monroe Street, Suite 2810, Chicago IL 60603

Attention: Erica Jordan, (312) 353-0182

Email: ejordan@mbda.gov

Nominations from: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio and Wisconsin

• MBDA New York National Enterprise Center

26 Federal Plaza, Room 3720, New York, NY 10278

Attention: Imani Bennett, (212) 264-0752
Email: ibennett@mbda.gov

Nominations from: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, DC, West Virginia and Puerto Rico.

• MBDA Atlanta National Enterprise Center

401 W. Peachtree Street, Suite 1715, Atlanta, GA 30308

Attention: Sandra Sanders (Primary), Katherine Roth (Alternate), (404) 730-3300

Email: ssanders@mbda.gov or kroth@mbda.gov

Nominations from: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee

• Dallas Regional Office

1100 Commerce Street, Room 726, Dallas, TX 75242

Attention: Arlene Hughes-Carpenter, (214) 767-8001

Email: ahcarpenter@mbda.gov

Nominations from: Arkansas, Colorado, Louisiana, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Wyoming

• Nominations for the Ronald H. Brown Leadership Award and the Abe Venable Legacy Award for Lifetime Achievement should be submitted directly to MBDA headquarters:

• MBDA Office of Legislative, Education and Intergovernmental Affairs

1401 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Room 5090, Washington, D.C. 20230
Attention: Stephen Boykin, (202) 482-1712
Email: sboykin@mbda.gov

NOMINEE ELIGIBILITY

MBDA serves minority business enterprises that are owned or controlled by the following persons or group of persons: African American, American Indian, Alaska Native, Asian, Hispanic, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, Asian Indian and Hasidic Jews. Nominees are especially sought from these groups. Eligible nominees include, but are not limited to, business owners, business executives, nonprofit organizations, for profit firms and institutions, universities and colleges, and representatives of local, state and federal governments. The Minority Construction Firm of the Year, Minority Manufacturer of the Year, Minority Retail or Service Firm of the Year, Minority Technology Firm of the Year, Minority Supplier Distributor of the Year awards are reserved for presentation to a minority business. The remaining MED Week Awards are open to qualified nominees without regard to minority status.

SELECTION PROCEDURES - REGIONAL MED WEEK AWARDS

1. Nomination packages for the Minority Construction Firm of the Year, Minority Manufacturer of the Year, Minority Retail or Service Firm of the Year, Minority Technology Firm of the Year, Minority Supplier Distributor of the Year, Advocate of the Year, Media Award, Distinguished Supplier Diversity Award, Access to Capital Award are submitted to the appropriate MBDA National Enterprise Center where they are reviewed for completeness. Partial or incomplete nomination packages will not be considered by MBDA.

2. Complete nomination packages for each award category are evaluated, rated and ranked by a review panel based on the evaluation criterion published in this brochure. The review panel shall be comprised of three persons, at least one of whom will be a full-time employee of MBDA.

3. The applicable MBDA Regional Director (or his or her designee) will serve as the Selecting Official for all regional MED Week Awards. In determining the award winners, the Selecting Official will consider the panel rankings and may also consider such other factors as the overall diversity of the nominee pool as it pertains to the objectives of the MED Week Awards Program and the constituency served by MBDA. However, the Selecting Official may decide not to make an award selection if MBDA does not receive any satisfactory nominations in a specific award category. In addition, the Selecting Official may select more than one award winner in a specific category depending on the quality of the nominations received. Prospective award winners will be reviewed by the Department of Commerce prior to an official selection.

SELECTION PROCEDURES – NATIONAL MED WEEK AWARDS

1. Ronald H. Brown Leadership Award and the Abe Venable Legacy Award for Lifetime Achievement:

1. Nomination packages for these awards are submitted directly to MBDA headquarters where they are reviewed for completeness. Partial or incomplete nomination packages will not be considered.

2. Complete nomination packages for each award category are evaluated, rated and ranked by a review panel based on the evaluation criterion published in this brochure. The review panel shall be comprised of three persons, at least one of whom will be a full-time MBDA employee.

3. The MBDA National Director (or his or her designee) will serve as the Selecting Official for these awards. In determining the award winners, the Selecting Official will consider the panel rankings and may also consider such other factors as the overall diversity of the nominee pool as it pertains to the objectives of the MED Week Awards Program and the constituency served by MBDA. However, the Selecting Official may decide not to make an award selection if MBDA does not receive any satisfactory nominations in a specific award category. In addition, the Selecting Official may select more than one award winner in a specific category depending on the quality of the nominations received. Prospective award winners will be reviewed by the Department of Commerce prior to an official selection.

2. Minority Construction Firm of the Year, Minority Manufacturer of the Year, Minority Retail Energy Firm of the Year, Minority Global Technology Firm of the Year, Minority Global Supplier Distributor of the Year, Advocate of the Year, Media Award, Distinguished Supplier Diversity Award, Access to Capital Award:

1. The nomination packages and the review panel evaluations for the Regional MED Week award winners are submitted to MBDA headquarters to be considered for National MED Week awards in these categories. No other nominations will be considered.

2. The MBDA National Director (or his/her designee) will serve as the Selecting Official for these awards. The Selecting Official will select the award winners based on a determination as to which Regional MED Week award winner best meets the evaluation criterion and the overall spirit and objectives of the MED Week Awards Program. However, the Selecting Official may decide not to make an award selection if MBDA does not receive any satisfactory nominations in a specific award category. In addition, the Selecting Official may select more than one award winner in a specific category depending on the quality of the nominations received. Prospective award winners will be reviewed by the Department of Commerce, prior to an official selection.

MBDA reserves the right to contact the nominator and the nominee of any Regional or National

MED Week Award in order to verify information submitted, or to obtain additional information necessary to evaluate the nomination. Persons contacted by MBDA are under no obligation to provide this information, but should recognize that failure to provide the information may lower the chances of the nominee being selected as the winner of a MED Week award.

AWARD CATEGORIES AND EVALUATION CRITERION

Nominations should discuss each criterion referenced in the applicable award category.

MINORITY CONSTRUCTION FIRM OF THE YEAR

Presented to a minority firm that has achieved outstanding success in private or public sector construction projects and has exhibited revenue and job growth over a sustained period of time.

• Total revenue and number of employees. 40 Pts

• Revenue growth and number of jobs created over a sustained period. 30 Pts

• Challenges overcome - Technical, commercial, competitive or societal. 15 Pts

• Economic, environmental or societal contributions. 15 Pts

MINORITY MANUFACTURER OF THE YEAR

Presented to a minority firm that has achieved significant success in employing new and innovative techniques that led to a significant increase in market share, job growth and customer satisfaction.

• Total revenue and number of employees. 40 Pts

• Innovative techniques utilized and the results achieved. 30 Pts

• Challenges overcome - Technical, commercial, competitive or societal. 15 Pts

• Economic, environmental or societal contributions. 15 Pts

MINORITY RETAIL ENERGY COMPANY OF THE YEAR

Presented to the minority firm in the energy industry that has achieved notable success in providing quality products and services that resulted in improvement of the environment, proficiency, and customer satisfaction.

• New product lines or services implemented. 40 Pts

• Total revenue and jobs created. 30 Pts

• Challenges overcome. Technical, commercial, competitive or societal. 15 Pts

• Economic, environmental or societal impact. 15 Pts

MINORITY GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY FIRM OF THE YEAR

Presented to the minority company that has achieved notable success in bringing new technologies

to the global market and/or expanded technology applications to increase efficiencies and jobs.

• Types of new or innovative technologies employed globally 40 Pts

• Revenues and jobs created over the past five years. 30 Pts

• Challenges overcome - Technical, commercial, competitive or societal. 15 Pts

• Economic, environmental or societal contributions. 15 Pts

MINORITY GLOBAL SUPPLIER DISTRIBUTOR OF THE YEAR

Presented to the minority company that has achieved outstanding success in penetrating domestic and global markets.

• How the nominee has penetrated global and domestic markets. 40 Pts

• Dollar value of revenues and number of jobs created. 30 Pts

• Challenges overcome. Technical, commercial, or competitive. 15 Pts

• Economic impact. 15 Pts

ADVOCATE OF THE YEAR

Presented to an individual or organization that has demonstrated significant accomplishment in advocating minority business enterprise as an economic force in the global economy.

• Accomplishments related to the nominees’ advocacy efforts. 40 Pts

• Creativity in advocacy activities. 30 Pts

• Promotion of MBDA as a significant contributor to the success of MBE’s

in the global marketplace. 15 Pts

• Results of the nominee’s advocacy efforts. 15 Pts

MEDIA AWARD

Presented to the print, broadcast or radio media organization that has achieved notable success in advancing public awareness of the positive impact of MBEs on the global economy.

• How the nominee has raised awareness and the results 40 Pts

• Creativity and innovation in support of minority business enterprise. 30 Pts

• Number of articles, public service announcements or radio/television spots. 15 Pts

• Circulation data. 15 Pts

DISTINGUISHED SUPPLIER DIVERSITY AWARD

Presented to the organization or individual whose business practices have had a significant impact on the growth and development of minority business.

• Increased dollar values of purchases from minority business enterprises
  over the past five (or more) years. 40 Pts

• Number and types of companies in the nominees supply chain. 30 Pts

• Number of jobs created. 20 Pts

• Innovative programs implemented. . 10 Pts

ACCESS TO CAPITAL AWARD

Presented to an individual or organization who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in the financial community by providing working or investment capital to minority businesses.

• How the nominee provided leadership and advocacy for access to capital. 30 Pts

• Dollar value of loans or other financial instruments provided to

minority businesses or individuals. 30 Pts

• Number of jobs created. 30 Pts

• Projects implemented as a result of funding. 10 Pts

RONALD H. BROWN LEADERSHIP AWARD is inspired by the outstanding leadership by the late U.S. Secretary of Commerce, Ronald H. Brown. As the first African-American to serve as the Department’s Secretary, he was a staunch advocate for diversity and business expansion. The Award recognizes individuals who have achieved significant results in creating diversity and expanding minority business enterprise and who have demonstrated exceptional leadership in the public or private sector.

• Innovations and improvements initiated by the nominee and the results. 25 Pts

• Exceptional and effective leadership demonstrated by the nominee. 25 Pts

• The extent to which nominee caused job growth. 25 Pts

• The extent to which the nominee impacted the global economy. 25 Pts

ABE VENABLE LEGACY AWARD FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT celebrates high standards of excellence, dedication and accomplishment over a sustained period of time. The award is granted to an individual who has played an integral role in the creative, technical or professional progress of minority business development over the course of his/her life.

• The role the nominee has played in the development of minority business.
  enterprise over the past 25 (or more) years. 40 Pts

• The management or programmatic improvements the nominee achieved. 20 Pts

• The nominees impact on job growth. 20 Pts

• The nominees impact on his industry. 20 Pts

Notwithstanding any other provision of the law, no person is required to respond to, nor shall any person be subject to a penalty for failure to comply with, a collection of information subject to the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act, unless that collection of information displays a currently valid OMB Control Number. The OMB Approved Number for this Collection is 0640-0025 and it expires on 4/30/2012.

The information is used by the MBDA to recognize outstanding minority business development activities of national importance and to determine those applicants best meeting the preannounced criteria. No confidentiality for the information submitted is promised or provided except that which is exempt under 5 U.S.C. 522(b)(4) as confidential business information.

The public reporting burden for this collection is estimated to average 2 hours per response including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to: Minority Business Development Agency, Office of Legislative, Education, and Intergovernmental Affairs, Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20233 and to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs of Management and Budget, Washington, D.C. 20503.

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