The Houston Minority Supplier Development Council (HMSDC) and the Houston Business Journal are pleased to announce the 26th annual Emerging Ten (E-10) Virtual Awards.


This prestigious award recognizes Houston area minority business owners who have emerged successful after having faced challenges, overcome hurdles, and many times have done it without adequate financial resources. 

They have emerged to:
 (1) Excelled in customer service;

 (2) Established innovative business practices;

 (3) Embraced and successfully navigated today’s business marketplace; and

 (4) Engaged in efforts to improve the communities where you live and work


Nominate the company or companies whose owner(s) deserve to be recognized for this distinguished award.  If you require additional information, please call (713) 271-7805.

Corporations and Community Organizations can nominate MBEs and MBEs can self-nominate!

All nominees should block the following dates (August 6-7, 2024) for the photography and videotaping session of the award winners. All winners will receive a specific date and time on Tuesday, July 16, 2024.
 

A Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) is defined as a for-profit business that is at least 51% owned, managed, and controlled by United States citizens belonging to one or more of the following ethnic minority groups: African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, Asian-Pacific Americans, and Subcontinent-Asian Americans.

This award is presented to a deserving MBE(s) based on product and service quality, competitiveness, and reliability. Awards are presented in the following annual sales categories: under $1 million, $1-10 million, $10-50 million, and over $50 million.

The winner of Supplier of the Year in each class will be announced at the EXPO Rigel Awards and submitted to the NMSDC national office to compete for the National Supplier of the Year award.  

All nominees should block the following dates (August 6-7, 2024) for the photography and videotaping session of the award winners. All winners will receive a specific date and time on Tuesday, July 16, 2024.
 

Award Definition
The Houston Minority Supplier Development Council (HMSDC) recognizes with this award the individuals who have done the most during the past twelve months to provide ongoing, recurring support to MBEs, resulting in contracts for multiple MBEs.

Instructions
Instructions: There is no limit to the number of nominations; however, each must be submitted separately. Please complete this nomination form explaining why your nominee should receive the Advocate of the Year Award. All qualified nominees will be recognized, and the winner will be announced at the EXPO Rigel Awards. 

All nominees should block the following dates (August 6-7, 2024) for the photography and videotaping session of the award winners. All winners will receive a specific date and time on Tuesday, July 16, 2024.

Award Definition
The Houston Minority Supplier Development Council (HMSDC) recognizes with this award the Corporate Member who has evidenced the most commitment to minority business development during the past year. We are requesting MBEs to nominate companies who have demonstrated the following:
 

•  Commitment to MBE development
•  Involvement in HMSDC
•  Specific assistance provided to MBEs
•  Encouraging primes to support minority business development
•  Increased direct and indirect spending with MBEs
•  increased number of MBEs nominee is doing business with
•  Changed internal processes that resulted in contracts awarded to MBEs
•  Demonstrated executive involvement

If you are not self-nominating, you are encouraged to go directly to the nominee for information. 

Instructions: There is no limit on the number of nominations. Please complete this nomination form by explaining why your nominee should receive the National or Local Corporation of the Year Award. All qualified nominees will be recognized, and the winners will be announced at the EXPO Rigel Awards. 

All nominees should block the following dates (August 6-7, 2024) for the photography and videotaping session of the award winners. All winners will receive a specific date and time on Tuesday, July 16, 2024.

Instructions
Nominations are accepted only from HMSDC Corporate Members. By providing this information, you will be considered for the Houston Minority Supplier Development Council’s Innovation Award in MBE Development.

Please be specific. 

Please provide specific information about the innovation for each nominee.  All qualified nominees will be recognized, and the winner will be announced at the EXPO Rigel Awards.  

All nominees should block the following dates (August 6-7, 2024) for the photography and videotaping session of the award winners. All winners will receive a specific date and time on Tuesday, July 16, 2024.

Instructions
Please complete this nomination form to recognize a prime supplier supporting minority business development. All qualified nominees will be recognized, and the winner will be announced at the EXPO Rigel Awards.   

Award Definition
Many major corporations and government agencies are asking their prime suppliers to participate in minority business development efforts. Prime suppliers are asked to make a conscious effort to seek out and seriously consider minority-owned business enterprises (MBEs) and to report the results of those efforts through specific actions taken to develop and grow their supplier diversity program.

The nominee for the Prime Supplier of the Year Award shall be an HMSDC member prime supplier or first-tier minority-owned business enterprise that has participated in overall second-tier efforts at some level for more than three years. The nominee should have reported annual spending with MBEs that total greater than $2 million and demonstrate significant growth in their second-tier efforts through capturing and reporting second-tier targets, using a year-on-year comparison. 

All nominees should block the following dates (August 6-7, 2024) for the photography and videotaping session of the award winners. All winners will receive a specific date and time on Tuesday, July 16, 2024.

Strategic Teaming refers to a partnering or subcontracting arrangement between a prime vendor and one or more Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) or between two or more MBEs. This award is presented to deserving MBE(s) partnering with each other or a prime supplier to increase their capacity and leverage their capabilities to render a product or service to a customer. Winners of the Strategic Teaming Alliance Award will be announced at the EXPO Rigel Awards.

The Houston Minority Business Council's Strategic Teaming Alliances Committee will judge the nominees with active participation in a strategic teaming alliance. Judging will be based on commitment, innovations, and expenditures with MBEs.

Please list the alliance companies you feel should be considered for this special recognition. 

All nominees should block the following dates (August 6-7, 2024) for the photography and videotaping session of the award winners. All winners will receive a specific date and time on Tuesday, July 16, 2024.

The Procurement Champion Award will be presented to the buyer who has done the most to promote business opportunities for MBEs.  

Criteria for nomination:

1. The nominee must be a current employee of the nominator’s company and have at least two years of experience.
2. The Nominee may be any company representative that requisitions, buys, uses, and/or influences the procurement of products and/or services but does not function as a Supplier Diversity Administrator, Coordinator, Manager, or similar.
3. Self-nominations are welcome.
    

Nomination Requirements:
Please submit a brief narrative describing why you feel this nominee deserves recognition as Procurement Champion of the Year. Your narrative should address the items listed below. The narrative must cover all categories or points deducted for each category missing.

All nominees should block the following dates (August 6-7, 2024) for the photography and videotaping session of the award winners. All winners will receive a specific date and time on Tuesday, July 16, 2024.

Award Definition
The Houston Minority Supplier Development Council (HMSDC) recognizes stand-out individuals from our Corporate Members who have gone the extra mile to open doors and create opportunities for minority business enterprises (MBEs). The winner of this award will be determined based on the responses provided in this nomination. No additional information will be used to determine the winner.

The Houston Minority Supplier Development Council (HMSDC) will award scholarships to minority business enterprises (MBEs) to attend HMSDC developmental initiatives. HMSDC will also consider scholarship applications to attend outside programming on a case-by-case basis.  Past recipients have used scholarships to attend the MBE Leadership Academy, CEO Conversations, Dartmouth College Amos Tuck School of Business, and other trade-specific training. Participation is limited and will be chosen in accordance with scholarship selection criteria.


Purpose of Scholarships: To strengthen the management skills of an MBE member whose success could be enhanced by attending educational seminars, expanding public awareness of minority-owned businesses, and rewarding members' involvement in the Houston Minority Supplier Development Council.


Who May Apply? To qualify, the applicant must be an active and participating owner or principal of an MBE firm certified by the HMSDC and meet the selection criteria.


Application Process: All applications must be received at the HMSDC offices by the published deadline. Incomplete applications and documentation will not be considered.


Selection Criteria: Applications will be judged with equal emphasis on:
(1) at least one year's participation in HMSDC activities;
(2) potential for improvement;
(3) commitment of the candidate to attend;
(4) educational preparation of the candidate; and
(5) commitment of the candidate to the scholarship fundraiser (play, sponsor or donate)


Preference is given to applicants who have not received past scholarships from HMSDC and are active MBEs of HMSDC committees. Applicant must further agree to schedule adequate time to prepare for the chosen course(s) and attend them within the calendar year the scholarship is awarded. Request to defer a scholarship beyond the calendar year in which it was awarded must be approved in advance by the HMSDC President.


Selection Process: Scholarship recipients will be selected based on written applications. Prior to the final selection, they may be invited to an interview with the selection committee.


HMSDC Scholarship Guidelines:  

1. The applicant must be the owner or principal of a certified minority-owned business. If the nominee is a member of the MBE's management team, the owner and nominee must sign the scholarship application, and the nominee’s name and title must be listed on the application.  
2. The applicant company must be a dues-paying, certified MBE of the Houston Minority Supplier Development Council.  
3. The applicant must complete the scholarship application and fulfill all requirements.  
4. The applicant firm must be active in Council activities by the following: a) attending seminars, networking luncheons, or EXPO in the past year; and active service on an HMSDC committee in the past year; and c) have played, donated, or sponsored ($250 minimum) in the past year or current tournament year.  
5. The applicant firm must have been established for at least two years.  
6. The applicant firm must submit information pertaining to his/her company's growth in employment and/or sales volume. 
7. The application will be reviewed with equal emphasis on the candidate's commitment to attending the course and the potential for business improvement that most closely matches the business need. 
8. The applicant may be asked to interview with the scholarship selection committee. 
9. Upon completion of the educational course, the Scholarship Recipient must provide the HMSDC with a report no longer than 2 pages covering a brief description of the program content. The report must describe what knowledge was gained through the program and how the Applicant's company benefitted from the recipients' participation. Completion of this requirement will impact the receipt of future scholarships for your firm. 
10. The Applicant must attend the educational course (or choice of courses) as approved in advance by the HMSDC. The scholarship is not transferable and may not be sold to or used by anyone other than the applicant. If the winner cannot attend the course(s), the Scholarship Selection Committee must be notified. 
11. The Applicants firm shall be able to demonstrate efforts to support the development of other MBEs.