| Mission Statement and Program Goals

“Give a man a fish
and you feed him for a day.
Teach a man to fish
and you feed him for a lifetime.”
– Chinese Proverb

MBDI firmly believes that education, not hand-outs, is key to creating minority-owned prime contractors.

Other bond programs waive bonds for minority contractors or provide capital with no requirement that the contractor undergo sustainable systemic change. We see this as a myopic and unsustainable approach that can lead to contractor default and deplete available program funds.

Empirical evidence shows that a contractor is not “helped” by being given access to a project that it lacks the infrastructure to support. If a firm is not ready to perform a project, it should not perform the project.

Broad Program Goals

    • Provide a workforce development educational program that will train contractor CEOs and management personnel to improve broad-based managerial, operational and financial functions, thereby increasing surety bond acquisition, productivity, profits and opportunities. Emphasis will be placed on financial literacy and community development.

    • Assist growing contractors to prepare for their first contracts requiring surety bonding or for larger contracts requiring larger bonds.

    • Support the surety bond application and management process.

    • Establish a Capital Access Bond Fund that will address the issue of inadequate capitalization that has consistently hindered the emerging contractor.

    • Develop road maps for the continued growth and success of emerging contractors in order to create jobs, create wealth (and perhaps generational wealth), increase community tax bases and allow for sustainable systemic change.

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Compelling and Documented Need for Bonding Assistance

Numerous disparity studies show that an unduly small number of government construction contracts are awarded to minority-owned firms. This inequity warrants the establishment of a comprehensive initiative to address this disparity. At present, most minority-owned businesses find it difficult or impossible to compete for public opportunities because they are not able to secure the necessary bid performance and payment bonds. 

95%

Percentage of 337 cities that experienced job decline for construction workers, based on 2009 research

1 in 2

Blacks in New York City of working age had no job in 2012

20 times, 18 times

Median wealth of white households in relation to black and Hispanic households.

MBDI trains and helps position MWBE construction contractors to qualify for bonds – and seeks ultimately to bridge the gap in procurement disparity. MBDI’s services do more than just provide access to capital; they provide sustainable systemic change in minority-owned businesses. MBDI trains CEOs to run their businesses in a manner that will allow them to successfully bid for and manage government construction contracts. MBDI’s services are critical to help stem a deeply-rooted social crisis.

Letters of Support

MBDI’s mission and program success have gained the support and strong endorsement of government and industry leaders as well as those of program participants. MBDI leadership is proud to share their comments.

Honorable David A. Paterson | 55th Governor, State of New York (#1)

Michael M. Clay | Director, Opportunity Programs Group, Dormitory Authority State of New York (#4)

You can also read compelling client case studies and participant testimonials.