Miss. Code Ann. § 57-1-58

It is the policy of the Mississippi Development Authority and the Mississippi Development Authority is authorized to accommodate and support any entity using funds authorized and made available under Sections 1 through 37 of Chapter 1, Laws of 2005, Third Extraordinary Session that wishes to have a program of diversity in contracting, and/or that wishes to do business with or cause its prime contractor to do business with Mississippi companies, including those companies that are small business concerns owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. The term “socially and economically disadvantaged individuals” shall have the meaning ascribed to that term under Section 8(d) of the Small Business Act (15 USCS 637(d)) and relevant subcontracting regulations promulgated pursuant thereto; except that women shall be presumed to be socially and economically disadvantaged individuals for the purposes of this section.