MED Week Awards Program Brochure

2022 CALL FOR

Nominations

National Minority Enterprise
Development Week Awards
Nomination Deadline: Wednesday, June 27, 2022
Award recipients will be announced in September

Nomination form and instructions can be found at
For more information and to apply visit: https://www.mbda.gov
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W. M B D A . G OV

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Overview
Since 1969, the U.S. Department of Commerce

There are three main
award categories:

Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) has
been instrumental in fostering the growth and global
competitiveness of the Nation’s minority-owned
businesses. From an estimated 300,000 minorityowned firms in 1969 to more than eight million today,
MBDA has led the way in gaining public recognition

MINORITY FIRMS OF THE
YEAR
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of the achievements and economic contributions of
minority-owned firms.
The 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,

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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.

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Minority Construction Firm of
the Year
Minority Export Firm of the
Year
Minority Manufacturing Firm
of the Year
Minority Health Products and
Services Firm of the Year
Minority Emerging Technology
and Industries Firm of the Year
Minority Marketing and
Communications
Minority E-Commerce Firm of
the Year
Minority Veteran-Owned Firm
of the Year
Robert J. Brown Minority
Business Enterprise of the
Year

CHAMPIONS OF MINORITY
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
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Access to Capital Award
Advocate of the Year
Distinguished Supplier
Diversity Award

INDIVIDUAL RECOGNITION
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For more information and to apply visit: https://www.mbda.gov

Abe Venable Legacy Award for
Lifetime Achievement
Ronald H. Brown Leadership
Award

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Who is eligible for an award?
The Minority Firms of the Year Awards are open to 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.
The Champions of Minority Business Development Awards eligible nominees include, but are
not limited to business owners, business executives, and representatives of local, state and
federal governments or nonprofit organizations, universities, colleges and tribal entities.
The Individual Recognition Awards are open to qualified individuals without regard to ethnicity.

Who may submit nominations for awards?
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
Business Centers.
However, nominations may not be submitted by members of the headquarters review panels or
by MBDA Selecting Officials.

For more information and to apply visit: https://www.mbda.gov

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Award categories and evaluation criterion
Nominations should discuss each criterion referenced in the applicable award category

Minority-Owned Firms
Minority
Construction Firm of
the Year

Minority Export Firm
of the Year

Minority
Manufacturing Firm
of the Year

Presented to a minority-owned firm that has achieved
outstanding success in private or public construction
projects and has exhibited revenue and job growth over
a sustained period of time.
• Describe the size, scale and types of construction
projects
• Explain revenue growth and number of jobs
created/retained over a period of time
• Specify challenges overcome – Technical,
commercial, competitive or societal
• Describe economic, environmental or societal
contributions

Presented to a minority-owned firm that has achieved
outstanding success in penetrating domestic and global
markets.
• Describe how the nominee has penetrated global
and domestic markets.
• Explain revenue growth and number of jobs
created/retained over a period of time
• Specify challenges overcome - Technical,
commercial, or competitive
• Describe economic impact, environmental or
societal contributions

Presented to a minority-owned firm that has achieved
success in employing new and innovative techniques
that led to a significant increase in market share, job
growth and customer satisfaction.
• Describe techniques utilized and the results
achieved
• Explain revenue growth and number of jobs
created/retained over a period of time
• Specify challenges overcome - Technical,
commercial, competitive or societal
• Describe economic, environmental or societal
contributions
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Minority Emerging
Technology and
Industries Firm
of the year

Presented to a minority-owned firm that has achieved
outstanding success in high-growth industries through
the utilization or the delivery of services based on new
technologies.
• Describe new techniques utilized and the results
achieved
• Explain revenue growth and number of jobs
created/retained over a period of time
• Specify challenges overcome - Technical,
commercial, competitive or societal
• Describe economic, environmental or societal
contributions

Minority Health
Products and
Services Firm of the
Year

Presented to a minority-owned firm that has improved
the quality and delivery of healthcare through
innovation.
• Describe the improvements and/or innovations to
the quality and delivery of healthcare
• Explain revenue growth and number of jobs
created/retained over a period of time
• Specify challenges overcome - Technical,
commercial, competitive or societal
• Describe economic, environmental or societal
contributions

Minority Marketing
and Communication
Firm of the Year

Presented to a minority-owned firm who has achieved
notable success in the marketing and communication
industry by demonstrating creativity and impact.
• Describe creative approaches utilized in campaigns
and new marketing tools developed
• Explain revenue growth and number of jobs
created/retained over a period of time
• Specify challenges overcome - Technical,
commercial, competitive or societal
• Describe economic, environmental or societal
contributions

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Minority
E-Commerce Firm
of the Year

Minority VeteranOwned Firm of the
Year

Robert J. Brown
Minority Business
Enterprise of the
Year

Presented to a minority-owned firm that has achieved
outstanding success by harnessing the power of
the internet to offer goods and services to other
businesses and/or directly to the consumer.
• Describe the firm’s creative approaches to offering
and selling goods in the digital space
• Explain revenue growth and number of jobs
created/retained over a period of time
• Specify challenges overcome - Technical,
commercial, competitive or societal.
• Describe economic, environmental or societal
contributions

Presented to a veteran-owned minority business
enterprise that has had achieve success in their
industry that has led to a significant increase in job
growth and customer satisfaction.
• Describe techniques utilized and the results
achieved
• Explain revenue growth and number of jobs
created/retained over a period of time
• Specify challenges overcome - Technical,
commercial, competitive or societal.
• Describe economic, environmental or societal
contributions

Presented to a minority business enterprise that has
exceeded industry standards and achieved phenomenal
business success leading to significant growth and
job creation, while showing a commitment to social
responsibility and strong community involvement.
• Specify length of time in business
• Explain growth in revenue and number of
employees
• Explain current and past financial performance
• Describe innovative techniques utilized and the
results achieved
• Specify challenges overcome-Technical,
commercial, competitive or societal
• Describe economic, environmental or societal
contributions

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Champions of Minority
Business Development
Access to Capital
Award

Advocate of the Year

Distinguished
Supplier Diversity
Award

Presented to an individual or organization that has
demonstrated outstanding leadership in the financial
community by providing traditional and/or alternative
working or investment capital to minority-owned
businesses.
• Documented leadership and advocacy for access to
capital
• Specify dollar value of loans or other financial
instruments provided to minority businesses or
individuals
• Highlight unique strategies, tools, and/or
approaches to increase money invested in minority
business enterprises
• Describe projects implemented as a result of
funding

Presented to an individual or organization that
has demonstrated significant accomplishment
in advocating minority business enterprise as an
economic force in the global economy.
• Describe accomplishments related to the
nominees’ advocacy efforts
• Highlight specific obstacles, challenges, or issues
championed by the advocate
• Specify promotion of MBDA as a significant
contributor to the success of MBEs in the global
marketplace
• Explain results of the nominees’ advocacy efforts

Presented to the organization or individual whose
business practices have had a significant impact on the
growth and development of minority-owned firms.
• Specify increased dollar values of purchases from
minority business enterprises over the past five (or
more) years
• Explain number and types of companies in the
nominee’s supply chain
• Explain number of jobs created
• Describe innovative strategies or notable
improvements to the supplier diversity program
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Individual Recognition
The 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.
• Describe the role played by the nominee in the development of minority
business enterprise over the past 25 (or more) years
• Describe the organization or programmatic improvements the nominee
achieved
• Explain the nominee’s impact on his/her industry

The Ronald H. Brown Leadership Award is inspired by the outstanding
leadership of 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 by promoting diversity, expanding minority
business enterprise and demonstrating exceptional leadership in the public or
private sector.
• Describe the innovations and improvements initiated by the nominee and the
results
• Describe the exceptional and effective leadership demonstrated by the
nominee
• Explain the extent to which the nominee impacted the global economy

For more information and to apply visit: https://www.mbda.gov

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Questions? Please contact:
Antavia Grimsley, MBDA National MED Week Program Coordinator
202-841-2384 | agrimsley1@mbda.gov

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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.

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