Women's Business Center - Initial Phase Grant

Since its inception in 1953, the Small Business Administration (SBA) has served to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small businesses. While the SBA is best known for its financial support of small businesses through its many lending programs, the Agency also plays a critical role in providing funding to organizations that deliver technical assistance in the form of counseling and training to small business concerns and nascent entrepreneurs in order to promote growth, expansion, innovation, increased productivity and management improvement. The mission of the WBC Program is to act as the catalyst for providing in-depth, substantive, outcome-oriented business services to women entrepreneurs, both nascent and established businesses, a representative number of which are socially and economically disadvantaged. This mission is accomplished through the award of financial assistance to private, 501(c)- certified non-profit organizations to enable them to affect substantial economic impact in their communities, as measured by successful business start-ups, job creation and retention, and increased company revenues. The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement is to provide funding for up to six eligible non-profit organizations (as defined in Section 3.2) to start a new, community-based Women's Business Center (WBC) in the geographic areas of SBA's six District offices that do not have a WBC in their respective service area. Eligible applicants must be private, non-profit organizations with 501(c) tax-exempt status from the U.S. Treasury/Internal Revenue Service and must provide services to the population within one of the following states. Applicants proposing to provide services within the District office territories must provide services to the population within the counties listed.

Since its inception in 1953, the Small Business Administration (SBA) has served to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small businesses. While the SBA is best known for its financial support of small businesses through its many lending programs, the Agency also plays a critical role in providing funding to organizations that deliver technical assistance in the form of counseling and training to small business concerns and nascent entrepreneurs in order to promote growth, expansion, innovation, increased productivity and management improvement. The mission of the WBC Program is to act as the catalyst for providing in-depth, substantive, outcome-oriented business services to women entrepreneurs, both nascent and established businesses, a representative number of which are socially and economically disadvantaged. This mission is accomplished through the award of financial assistance to private, 501(c)- certified non-profit organizations to enable them to affect substantial economic impact in their communities, as measured by successful business start-ups, job creation and retention, and increased company revenues. The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement is to provide funding for up to seven existing private non-profit organizations (host organizations) of a Women's Business Center (WBC) that have met their performance goals for the past 2 years and is in good standing with both performance and compliances to start a new, community-based WBC. The WBC must be located in an area that is not being served or adequately served. The host organizations must have sufficient match to meet the match requirements of any existing grants along with any new grants. A WBC provides technical assistance to women entrepreneurs, both nascent and established. A representative number of clients served by a WBC must be socially and economically disadvantaged. A non-Federal entity receiving a WBC grant must assist women entrepreneurs in the areas of finance, management, marketing, and other areas as defined in this funding opportunity announcement.