“Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprises play an integral role in New York’s economy and our administration is committed to helping these businesses thrive,”  Governor Cuomo said. “The Opportunities Expo is one of the ways we are providing MWBEs with the resources they need to start and expand their businesses, and create jobs for New Yorkers. I encourage all who are eligible to take part in these events and learn more about how we are increasing opportunity for businesses across the state.”

This year, two of the Expos – to be held in Albany and Binghamton – will feature New York State’s Disparity Study Community Meetings, a component of the State’s Disparity Study. The community meetings, led by Mason Tillman Associates, will inform the local community and businesses about the Study, which assesses the policies related to maximizing MWBE participation and outreach, its methodology and legal standard. For more information regarding the Disparity Study and statewide community meetings click  here.

“The MWBE Expos provide a great opportunity for small businesses to become informed about the many resources available to them,”  said  Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Howard Zemsky. “I encourage business owners to attend these critical information sessions and get the expert guidance they need to succeed.”

The Expos, sponsored by Empire State Development’s Division of Minority and Women’s Business Development, Regional Offices and local State partners, provide MWBEs with opportunities to meet State procurement officers and prime contractors. The Expos also feature workshops and panel discussions about New York State MWBE certification and business development resources.

Information will be available regarding the New York State MWBE BOOT CAMP, which highlights resources and technical assistance available to MWBEs in their region, such as the Small Business Development Centers, Procurement & Technical Assistance Centers and the Entrepreneurial Assistance Program. The Expos will also include information about State-sponsored financial and technical assistance programs, including the  New York State Surety Bond Assistance Program,“ Bridge to Success” Loan Program, and  BusinessMentorNY.

Under the Governor’s leadership, more than 4,300 MWBEs have been certified, more than 3,600 have been recertified, and more than $6.3 billion in state contracts have been secured by minority- or women-owned businesses. As a result, MWBE certification and utilization on state contracts has more than doubled in just five years.

Below is the Expo regional schedule:

Capital Region

Thursday, March 10th

SUNY Polytechnic Institute

College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering

257 Fuller Road

Albany, NY 12203

Mohawk Valley

Thursday, April 14th

Herkimer College

100 Reservoir Road

Herkimer, NY 13350

Southern Tier

Wednesday, April 27th

Binghamton University's Innovative Technologies Complex

85 Murray Hill Road

Vestal, NY 13850

Western New York

Thursday, May 12th

The University at Buffalo's Educational Opportunity Center

555 Ellicott Street

Buffalo, NY 14203

Long Island

Tuesday, June 28th

Stony Brook University

Charles B. Wang Center

400 Circle Road

Stony Brook, NY 11790

For more information about the EXPOs schedule, click  here.

Contact the Governor's Press Office