The program prioritizes these businesses for procurement for state government. A Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) is identified as being at least 51% owned by people who are: black persons having origin in any of the black African racial groups; Hispanic persons of Mexican, Dominican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American descent of indigenous or Hispanic origin, regardless of race; Asian and Pacific Islander person having origin in any of the Far East countries, Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent or the Pacific Islands; or Native American or Alaskan Native persons having origin in the original peoples of North America.