Award type: project grant

This $2.5 million Project Grant from the Small Business Administration's Office of Entrepreneurial Development, awarded under the Community Navigator Pilot Program (CFDA #59.077), will support the delivery of technical assistance and pandemic relief services to small businesses through December 2023. As a Hub organization, the Community Development Finance Authority and its subrecipient contractors (Spokes) will provide one-on-one counseling and group training to increase awareness of and participation in SBA and other government programs among historically underserved small business categories including minority, women, veteran, and rural entrepreneurs. The grant aims to strengthen small business recovery from COVID-19 through high-quality, targeted outreach and assistance with pandemic relief programs across New Hampshire through November 2023.

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.