The Council certifies, develops, and connects small businesses to corporate partners across the Carolinas and Virginia — and has been doing it for nearly 50 years.
Who We Are
The Council, formerly known as the Carolinas-Virginia Minority Supplier Development Council (CVMSDC), is a regional affiliate of the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC). We certify minority-owned businesses as SBEs, deliver development programs that build real capacity, and connect entrepreneurs directly with procurement teams at major corporations.
Small businesses face barriers to corporate access that have persisted for generations. We've spent nearly 50 years narrowing that gap, advocating through one certification, one contract, one connection at a time.
The Problem We Solve
Small businesses are locked out of corporate supply chains. We open the doors.
Talented entrepreneurs lose contracts not because of capability, but because of access: to the right relationships, the right rooms, and the right certification. The Council changes that.
We don't just certify businesses. We prepare them to compete, introduce them to decision-makers, and advocate for the market conditions where they can win.
How We Work — The Four Pillars
MBE certification is the starting line. We verify minority ownership and validate business readiness so corporate partners can source with confidence, and so you can access opportunities that were previously out of reach.
Certification opens the door. Development determines what you do once you're inside. Our programs, from capacity-building workshops to university executive education, prepare small businesses to compete for and fulfill larger contracts.
We put small business owners in the room with corporate procurement teams, fellow entrepreneurs, and potential partners. Our events, RING meetings, and annual conference create real relationships, not just introductions.
While you're running your business, we're in the rooms you can't always get to: with legislators, in corporate boardrooms, and at the national level, fighting for the policies and practices that create fair markets.
Impact
Every dollar invested in The Council returns $1.72 to local economies
SBEs in our network range from early-stage startups to established firms with hundreds of employees
Our members span every industry, from professional services and construction to technology and food manufacturing
22 additional NMSDC regional affiliates extend our reach nationwide when local needs go beyond our region
For Corporate Partners
Corporate procurement teams come to The Council because our SBEs are vetted, capable, and ready. Whether you're building out a supplier diversity or supplier development program or deepening an existing one, The Council connects you with businesses that can perform.
Ready to grow your business?
Join the network that has helped small businesses compete and win for nearly 50 years.