Award type: project grant

This $2.5 million Project Grant from the Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Entrepreneurial Development will support the Community Navigator Pilot Program. The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will provide high-quality technical assistance and support services to small businesses through 2023. As the main awardee, UALR will partner with subrecipients to deliver one-on-one counseling and group training to increase participation in SBA and other federal pandemic relief programs by historically underserved entrepreneurs, including those who are minorities, have disabilities, are veterans or women, or operate in rural areas or as micro-businesses. Quarterly reports on progress toward stated goals will be provided to SBA. This funding aims to strengthen economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic by assisting small businesses through the Community Navigator Pilot Program (CFDA #59.077).

Activities

Provide high quality support and technical assistance with pandemic relief programs and recovery services to small businesses.; deliverables: grantees will provide reports on activities and progress toward stated goals to SBA on a quarterly basis.

Expected outcomes

Increase awareness of and participation in programs of the u.s small business administration and other government agencies.

Intended beneficiaries

Small businesses and entrepreneurs that fall into a historically underserved category, including minority entrepreneurs (black, indigenous, and people of color), entrepreneurs with disabilities, lgbtq entrepreneurs, rural entrepreneurs; veterans and military entrepreneurs (including spouses), women entrepreneurs, innovative startups, micro businesses, and socially and economically disadvantaged small businesses

Subrecipient activities

Grantees (hubs) and their contractors (spokes) will provide high quality support and technical assistance with pandemic relief programs and recovery services to small businesses. This support takes the form of 1:1 counseling and group trainings.