Award type: project grant

This $2.5 million Project Grant from the Small Business Administration's Office of Entrepreneurial Development through the Community Navigator Pilot Program (CFDA #59.077) will fund business support services for underserved small businesses in Miami-Dade County, Florida from December 2021 through November 2023. As the prime awardee, Florida International University will coordinate services delivered by six sub-awardees. The sub-awardees—Ascendus, Branches, the Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Prospera, the Economic Development Council of South Miami-Dade, and Startup FIU Procurement—will provide confidential one-on-one consulting, financial education training, and other technical assistance focused on access to capital, business planning, and growth strategies. The coordinated services are intended to increase participation in pandemic relief and recovery programs among small, women-owned, veteran-owned, and socially disadvantaged businesses in Miami-Dade County.

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.