2 things NYC minority- and women-owned firms can act on this week.

What. Empire State Development is holding its New York State M/WBE Regional Opportunities Expo at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Manhattan on Thursday, July 23, 2026, from 8 AM to 5 PM — the first time the Expo runs at Javits. It brings NY State agencies and authorities, plus prime contractors working across all 10 state regions, into one room with certified M/WBE firms. The day includes live matchmaking with procurement officers and M/WBE liaisons, an opportunities showcase on upcoming state projects, and workshops on topics like access to capital. The event is in-person only, and free, but registration is required for every attendee.

Who's affected. New York State–certified M/WBE firms — and firms currently pursuing certification — especially NYC-based businesses, since this year's Expo is in Manhattan rather than upstate. If you sell to state agencies or prime contractors, this is your audience in one place.

What to do. Register in advance on the official ESD Expo page (registration runs through Eventbrite) and plan to attend on Thursday, July 23. Bring current capability statements and business cards for the matchmaking sessions. Questions can go to ESD's M/WBE team at (212) 803-2414.

Why it matters. Matchmaking events put you in front of the people who actually award and subcontract state work — a faster path to a real conversation than cold outreach, and one that only comes to NYC occasionally.

Primary source: Empire State Development — 2026 MWBE Regional Opportunities Expo →

What. The Unique Entity ID (UEI) is a 12-character alphanumeric identifier assigned in SAM.gov that the federal government uses to recognize your business across all federal awards. It replaced the old DUNS number on April 4, 2022. The UEI is free and permanent — once issued, it does not expire. The most common and costly mistake here: getting a UEI is not the same as being registered to do business with the federal government. Those are two separate steps.

Who's affected. Any NYC firm that wants to pursue federal prime contracts, federal subcontracts, or federal grants — or that already holds an M/WBE certification and is now looking at federal work as the next step.

What to do. Create a SAM.gov account and start at the entity registration page. If you plan to bid on or hold federal awards, complete the full entity registration — it's free, becomes active for one year, must be renewed annually, and can take up to 10 business days to go active, so don't start it the week a bid is due. If you only need to be identified (for example, reporting as a subawardee) you can request a Unique Entity ID only, without full registration, by providing your legal business name and physical address. Both paths start in the same place: sam.gov/entity-registration.

Why it matters. Firms routinely assume a UEI means they're “in the system” and ready to be paid on a federal award — then lose time when they discover the registration was never completed or has lapsed. Knowing which step you actually need keeps a federal opportunity from stalling.

Primary source: SAM.gov — Get Started with Registration and the Unique Entity ID →