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What does the do?

Updates published annually

The Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) is a subdivision of the Department of Commerce responsible for promoting the growth and competitiveness of minority-owned businesses. The agency provides resources, advocacy, and support to help these businesses access capital, contracts, and markets. It was established in 1969.

In FY 2024,

$122M

was spent by the Minority Business Development Agency
In FY 2024,

0.8%

of Dept. of Commerce spending was by the Minority Business Development Agency

How much does the Minority Business Development Agency spend?

The Minority Business Development Agency spent a net total of $122.1 million in fiscal year (FY) 2024. This was 0.8% of the $14.8 billion spent by the Department of Commerce, which itself was 0.2% of all federal spending. The MBDA ranked 9th among DOC subdivisions in net spending.
Net spending is the difference between agency spending and any financial accounts generating funds from the agency’s own activities, like fees or rent. When these funds offset all spending, net spending appears negative. Some agencies tend to operate with positive net spending while others will register negative net spending sometimes or often.

The Minority Business Development Agency ranked 9th among Department of Commerce divisions in net spending in 2024.

DOC net spending by division, FY 2024

Like the overall federal budget, agency spending may shift over time due to population growth, changes in policy and programs, and emerging problems to address. Adjusting for inflation, the Minority Business Development Agency’s federal spending has decreased from $216.4 million in 1980 to $122.1 million in 2024.

The Minority Business Development Agency’s federal spending in FY 2024 was lower than in FY 1980.

Yearly federal net spending by MBDA, adjusted for inflation (2024 dollars), FYs 1980–2024

Since 1980, the Minority Business Development Agency's spending has decreased 43.6%, while overall spending has increased 193.7%.
As a percentage of the overall federal budget, a positive number means agency net spending made up some positive share of total federal spending; a negative number means that net generated funds offset a portion of total spending. MBDA spending grew less than overall federal spending since 1980, which means that its share of the federal budget decreased. In 2024, MBDA accounted for 0.0018% of overall federal spending.

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Major legislation, internal or global economic conditions, and acute events like the COVID-19 pandemic can affect spending year to year. For example, the federal budget fluctuated during the pandemic, rising from $5.3 trillion (in 2023 dollars) in 2019 to $7.7 trillion in 2020 and $7.8 trillion in 2021.

The Minority Business Development Agency’s share of federal spending in FY 2024 was lower than in FY 1980.

Net spending by MBDA as a share of federal spending, FYs 1980–2024

Most federal spending can be categorized as direct or indirect. Direct spending refers to money the federal government spends on budget items such as federal programs, employee salaries, and debt interest. Indirect spending refers to federal transfers to state and local governments.
In FY 2024, all of the Minority Business Development Agency's spending was direct.
The chart below outlines all net MBDA spending.

How did the Minority Business Development Agency spend its budget in 2024?

Federal government net spending isolated to MBDA, FY 2024

How many people work for the Minority Business Development Agency?

Some 55 of the 2.31 million total civilian federal employees work for the Minority Business Development Agency as of September 2024. This is 40.2% fewer people than the division staffed in 2010.

The number of federal employees working for the Minority Business Development Agency has decreased 40.2% since 2010.

Number of federal employees working for MBDA, September 2010–2024

The Minority Business Development Agency accounts for 0.0024% of the overall federal workforce. As the number of federal employees has changed, so too has the way the workforce is organized, with resources allocated to agencies depending on government priorities. The division constituted a smaller share of the overall federal workforce in September 2024 compared to 2010 (0.0044%).
While the number of employees on an agency’s payroll contributes to that agency’s expenditures, some agencies have relatively few employees compared to their budget or vice versa, giving them an outsized share of either the budget or the workforce. According to the most recent data, the Minority Business Development Agency's share of the workforce (0.0024%) is larger than its share of the budget (0.0018%).

Who leads the Minority Business Development Agency?

The MBDA is led by an Undersecretary, who reports to the Secretary of Commerce. There is no fixed term for this position.

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Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

Page sources

USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.

  • Office of Personnel Management

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  • Office of Management and Budget and US Department of the Treasury

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