Supplier Diversity Definitions

• Detroit Based Business: A business that pays city income taxes on the business's net profits and pays city property taxes on a plant or office and equipment which are ordinarily required for the furnishing of the goods or the performance of the services.

• LGBTQ-Owned Business Enterprise: A sole proprietorship, partnership, or corporation of which a minimum of 51% is owned by LGBTQ persons. In the case of a proprietorship or partnership, the LGBTQ owners must be engaged in the daily management, control and operation of the business concern. In the case of a corporation, the LGBTQ stockholders must be in control of the management and daily business operations, and a majority of the Board of Directors must be LGBTQ members.

• Minority-Owned Business Enterprise: A sole proprietorship, partnership, or corporation of which a minimum of 51% is owned by minority persons. In the case of a proprietorship or partnership, the minority owners must be engaged in the daily management, control and operation of the business concern. In the case of a corporation, the minority stockholders must be in control of the management and daily business operations, and a majority of the Board of Directors must be minority group members.

• Minority Person(s)
  • African-American: A U.S. citizen having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Sub-Sahara Africa. Caribbean natives of African descent are also eligible.
  • Hispanic-American: A U.S. citizen of true-born Hispanic heritage, from any of the Spanish-speaking areas of the following regions: Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Central America, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, South America, Uruguay, Venezuela. This includes Caribbean Basin only, Brazilians (Afro-Brazilian, indigenous/Indian only).
  • Native-American: A person who is an American Indian, Eskimo, Aleut or Native Hawaiian, and regarded as such by the community of which the person claims to be a part. Native Americans must be documented members of a North American tribe, band or otherwise organized group of native people who are indigenous to the continental United States and proof can be provided through a Native American Blood Degree Certificate (i.e., tribal registry letter, tribal roll register number).
  • Asian-Pacific American: A U.S. citizen whose origins are from the Asian Pacific region. These countries include the following: Cambodia, China, Guam, Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Samoa, Thailand, Tibet, Taiwan, the U.S. Trust Territories of the Pacific or the Northern Marianas and Vietnam.
  • Asian-Indian American: A U.S. citizen whose origins are from the Asian Indian region. These countries include Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

• Small, Disadvantaged Business: A business that has fewer than 50 employees or less than $1 million in annual revenue, whose majority owner and operator is handicapped (e.g., blind, para- or quadriplegic, deaf).

• Veteran Owned Business: A business at least 51% owned, managed, or controlled by a veteran or service-disabled veteran.

• Women-Owned Business Enterprise: A business with 51% ownership by a woman/women, and they control the business policy and operations and have been in business at least one year.

Related Business Advocacy Organizations

• Asian Pacific American Chamber of Commerce: Builds business relationships among Asian and U.S. based companies, promotes the economic advancement of Asian Pacific Americans and strives to provide its members with information that is current and important in making strategic business decisions.

• Detroit Regional LGBT Chamber of Commerce: Provides diversity certification to majority owned LGBT business enterprises and creates an avenue in which corporations can do business within the LGBT business community.

• Great Lakes Women Business Council: A nonprofit champion for women and minority business owners, provides access to capital, corporate procurement opportunities, diversity certification for women-owned business enterprises, and small business educational support.

• Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce: Promotes economic advancement, growth, and sustainability for its members by enabling access to business opportunities and developmental resources through strategic initiatives. Also serves as an advocate for jobs and economic development by promoting participation in supplier diversity development programs and international trade with Mexico and other Latin American countries.

• Michigan Minority Supplier Development Council: Provides diversity certification to minority owned firms and facilitates networking with its corporate members who are committed to doing business with minority owned businesses.

• National Veteran Business Development Council: Works to address the growing need to identify and certify both service disabled and veteran owned businesses in the government and commercial (corporate) marketplace.

• Veteran Roundtable Owned Business Roundtable: Serves veteran owned business and service-disabled veteran owned business in securing contracts with local, state, and federal governments; also advocate for business opportunities with large, private corporations.