Mutual Benefit Enterprise (MBE)

Online filing normally takes less than 1 business day. Please allow 7-10 business days for the processing of any filings received by mail. Online registration is the preferred method. There is no extra fee for online registration.

We recommend that you consult with an attorney, accountant, or business advisor about which business structure is best for you.

Do not invest in websites, signs, business cards, or other marketing materials until you receive a certificate confirming the availability and your ownership of the requested name.

Under Vermont's “distinguishable on the record” standard, if the requested name is too similar to an already registered name, such that it would confuse the public as to whom they are dealing with, it will be rejected. All registrations are subject to name availability rules. To avoid conflicts, please search our online database for your desired business name.

MBE

A mutual benefit enterprise (MBE) is a hybrid business structure that includes characteristics of both an LLC and a cooperative. Known in other states as a limited cooperative association (LCA), this unincorporated cooperative entity is an association of individuals or businesses that unite to meet their mutual interests by creating and using a jointly owned enterprise.

The MBE combines an unincorporated and flexible organizational structure (like limited liability companies and limited partnerships) with the principles and values of “traditional” cooperative corporations. This is designed to increase equity investment opportunities for capital-intensive and startup cooperative enterprises by allowing, but not requiring, the MBE to have voting investor members in addition to patron members.

Foreign (non-Vermont) Enterprises Doing Business in Vermont

If you are an existing out-of-state MBE and wish to do business in Vermont, you need to obtain a Certificate of Authority from the Office of the Secretary of State. For more information about registering as a foreign MBE, please see Foreign Business Registration.

Business Name of a Mutual Benefit Enterprise

The name of a mutual benefit enterprise must end with the phrase "mutual benefit enterprise, the abbreviation "MBE," or the abbreviation "Mut. Ben. Ent."

MBE business names may NOT contain the word "cooperative," nor the abbreviations "coop" or "co-op."