NEW YORK-The Workshop at Macy’s, the retailer’s minority- and women-owned business development program, begins accepting applications today from prospective participants via macysinc.com/workshop.

The workshop is a four and one-half-day intensive training course with a specially-designed business development curriculum aimed at those who make department store products and are poised to grow beyond self-distribution or low volume retailing.

The workshop allows selected participants to collaborate with fellow aspiring vendors, gain access to industry experts and solicit one-on-one business coaching. The course work includes classes on merchandising and assortment planning, marketing, EDI, financial management and access to capital.

New applications are now being accepted. To be eligible, an applicant must be the majority owner, co-owner or otherwise have operational control of a business that has been in operation for a least two consecutive years and be its primary decision maker. Eligible applications will include a 250-word biographical statement, look book/line sheets or images of product including costs, resumes on all owners, financial statements for the business for two years, fall within the minority- and women-owned definition of the program and provide verification of the business as a legal entity, among other requirements. Applications must be submitted online or postmarked by Feb. 3, 2011.