DESA operates the South Carolina Minority Business Enterprise Center, an affiliate of the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) - which is a division within the U. S. Department of Commerce. 

The Center promotes the growth and expansion of minority-owned businesses in South Carolina.  Help for entrepreneurs includes consulting services and strategies designed to increase capital and contracting opportunities.  By supporting the growth of these businesses, The Center also helps to create new jobs in South Carolina's minority communities.