Award type: project grant

This Project Grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration's Office of Entrepreneurial Development provides $1 million to Building Memphis to deliver Community Navigator services through November 2023. As part of the American Rescue Plan's $100 million Community Navigator Pilot Program, the awardee and its subrecipients will provide technical assistance and support to small businesses through individual counseling and group trainings focused on pandemic relief programs and recovery services. Specifically, Building Memphis will serve as a hub organization coordinating services delivered by contractor spokes to historically underserved small business categories, including minority, women, veteran, rural, and socially/economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs. Quarterly reports on progress achieving stated goals of increased participation in SBA and other agency programs will be provided to the SBA.

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.