The???????????????? City of Charlotte's Business Inclusion (CBI) program is seeking to increase the representation of Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (M/WBEs) in city procurement and contracts.

CBI will register MBEs and WBEs who are North Carolina HUB certified and provide full (Small Business Enterprise) SBE certification to local small businesses, which will enable city departments and prime contractors to locate them.

Firms must have a "significant business presence," defined by the Charlotte, North Carolina, Combined Statistical Area established by the U.S. Census Bureau and covering both North Carolina and South Carolina counties, to qualify under the SBE Program criteria. To obtain the SBE certification, the company must meet the ownership, size, and personal net worth criteria. 

After registering or getting certified, MWSBE firms are included in the City of Charlotte's Supplier Diversity Management System (SDMS), which establishes participation goals for each project and identifies subcontractors for construction and goods and services contracts.

According to officials, by increasing the capacity of local businesses through these forms of support, Charlotte intends to become a national leader in inclusive business practices by supporting more minority-owned business opportunities. 

Charlotte's strategy is similar to what is being seen nationwide and at the state level in terms of adapting and continuing with current legal/political challenges: how federal DBE and state and local M/WBE programs are adapting and how it affects their overall success and continued growth.