The Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce's Capital Readiness Program is committed to providing business development services to emerging and established business owners.


The Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (AZHCC), as a recipient of the United States Department of Commerce – Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Capital Readiness Program, requires all participants to (a) acknowledge they are receiving services under the AZHCC’s Capital Readiness Program, (b) provide company contact and profile information, (c) disclose all outcomes(s) based on direct and indirect services provided, (d) if requested, provide outcome documentation by way of the federally approved Client Transaction Verification Form, (e) agree to be honest and fully disclose all relevant business information, including details pertinent to financial matters, including loans, lines of credit, and other financial obligations.

Under this agreement, the participant self-certifies and attests that it is a business owned or controlled by Socially and/or Economically Disadvantaged Individuals, including the following –

1. a business that is owned and controlled by individuals or whose current majority founders are individuals who have had their access to credit on reasonable terms diminished compared to others in comparable economic circumstances, due to their:




1. membership in a group that has been subjected to racial or ethnic prejudice or cultural bias within American society


2. gender


3. veteran status


4. limited English proficiency


5. disability


6. long-term residence in an environment isolated from the mainstream of American society


7. membership in a federally or state-recognized Indian Tribe


8. long-term residence in a rural community


9. residence in a U.S. territory


10. residence in a community undergoing economic transitions (including communities impacted by the shift towards a net-zero economy or deindustrialization) or


11. membership in an underserved community




2. a business enterprise that certifies that it is owned and controlled by individuals whose residences are in Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) Investment Areas, as defined in 12 C.F.R. § 1805.201(b)(3)(ii)


3. a business enterprise that certifies that it will build, open, or operate a location in a CDFI Investment Area, as defined in 12 C.F.R. § 1805.201(b)(3)(ii)


4. a business enterprise that certifies that it is located in a CDFI Investment Area, as defined in 12 C.F.R. § 1805.201(b)(3)(ii)

Underserved communities are populations sharing a particular characteristic, as well as geographic communities, that have been systematically denied a full opportunity to participate in aspects of economic, social, and civic life because of, for example: race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, residence in a rural community; and persistent poverty. See 31 C.F.R. 35.27(g)(11)(ii). “Underserved communities” includes Black, Latino, and Indigenous and Native American persons, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and other persons of color; members of religious minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) persons; persons with disabilities; persons who live in rural areas; and persons otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality. (See 31 C.F.R. 35.27(g)(11)(ii))

All information will remain confidential. In providing services to Capital Readiness Program participants, the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the United States Department of Commerce – Minority Business Development Agency does not guarantee any particular outcome or business decision - and is not liable for any outcomes or business decisions.