Prime Technical Assistance
Active
- Assistance listing
- 59.050
- Grant awards
- 461 $75,860,249 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Also known as
- PRIME
- Assistance types
-
- Project Grant
- Cooperative Agreement
- Formula Grant
- Block Grant
- Treasury account
-
- 73-0400-2-3-376
- More information
Program details come from SAM.gov Assistance Listings. Updated . Grant award figures come from USAspending.gov.
About this program
The Small Business Administration is awarding grants under CFDA 59.050 (Program for Investment in Microentrepreneurs / PRIME) to fund training, technical assistance, and capacity-building services for disadvantaged microentrepreneurs and microenterprise development organizations, with the most recent grant awards issued on September 30, 2024.
The program has maintained steady activity over the past five years, averaging 31 awards annually between 2020 and 2024. A total of 461 awards have been issued since the program's inception in 2006, obligating $75.9 million in federal funding and $100.6 million in combined federal and non-federal dollars. The portfolio is dominated by Project Grants, which account for 65 percent of awards, with smaller shares of Cooperative Agreements (14 percent), Formula Grants (13 percent), and Block Grants (8 percent).
Within the program, four SBA sub-organizations function as funding sources. The SBA Office of Capital Access leads by federal dollars obligated at $37.4 million across 194 awards, while the main SBA account follows at $29.2 million across 198 awards. The Office of Performance Management and the Chief Financial Officer contributed $8.5 million across 61 awards, and the Office of Government Contracting and Business Development provided $766 thousand across 8 awards.
Recent awards reflect the typical grant envelope. September 2024 recipients include Economic and Community Development Institute (Ohio) for $400 thousand, Credit Builders Alliance (Washington, D.C.) for $400 thousand, Operation Hope Inc. (Georgia) for $240 thousand, P.V. Community Development Corp. (Texas) for $300 thousand, and Lehigh University (Pennsylvania) for $300 thousand. Awards range from $80 thousand to $400 thousand, with one-year periods of performance and optional four twelve-month renewal terms at government discretion.
Eligible applicants are non-profit microenterprise development organizations, intermediaries, programs run by state or local governments or Indian tribes, or federally recognized Indian tribes that can certify no other eligible organization exists within their jurisdiction. The program operates on a competitive solicitation cycle. The most recent open opportunity (SB-OCAPR-26-001) posted July 15, 2026, with applications due August 12, 2026, and targets 501(c)(3) nonprofits, non-501(c)(3) nonprofits, and federally recognized tribal governments. No opportunity is currently open as of today's date.
Objective and description
- Objective
To increase the number of microenterprises and to enhance the management capability of microentrepreneurs in starting, expanding and/or growing their business; to provide training and capacity building services to enhance existing Microenterprise Dev
- Description
To increase the number of microenterprises and to enhance the management capability of microentrepreneurs in starting, expanding and/or growing their business; to provide training and capacity building services to enhance existing Microenterprise Development Organizations (MDOs) and expand the universe of MDOs that provide microenterprise development training programs and services; and to fund research and development of best practices for training and technical assistance consistent with the PRIME Act.
Eligibility
- Applicant eligibility
Grant recipients shall be non-profit microenterprise development organizations or programs (or a collaborative thereof) that have a demonstrated record of delivering microenterprise services to disadvantaged entrepreneurs, an intermediary, a microenterprise development organization or program that is accountable to a local community, working in conjunction with a State or local government or Indian tribe, or an Indian tribe acting on its' own, if the tribe can certify that no private organization or program referred to in this paragraph exists within its' jurisdiction.
- Beneficiary eligibility
Disadvantaged entrepreneurs, microenterprises, and microenterprise development organizations as defined in the Act.
- Uses of assistance
The recipients of the services provided by the grantees are those persons/businesses who satisfy the eligibility criteria as defined in the Act.
- Length and time phasing of assistance
See information at www.sba.gov.
How to apply
- Criteria for selecting proposals
Past performance, approach, personnel, and cost.
- Award procedure
Successful offerors will be notified of a decision by letter from the Office of Financial Assistance, Microenterprise Development Division.
- Time to approval or disapproval
60 to 90 days.
- Renewals
The period of performance for grants awarded under the Act is for one year with four twelve month options exercised at the discretion of the government.
- Appeals
Additional information available at SBA's website at www.sba.gov.
Grant opportunities
| Opportunity | Status | Posted | Applications due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Program for investment in microentrepreneurs (prime) FY 2026 | Closed | ||
| Prime 2024 | Closed | ||
| Prime 2023-01 | Closed | ||
| Prime-2021-01 | Closed | ||
| Prime-2020-01 | Closed | ||
| Program for investment in microentrepreneurs | Closed | ||
| Prime 2017 | Closed | ||
| Program for Investment in Microentrepreneurs (PRIME) | Closed |
Grant awards
| Award | Recipient | Federal obligations | Awarded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advocap, INC. | Advocap Inc. | $225,000 | |
| Baltimore community lending INC - MD | Baltimore Community Lending, Inc. | $300,000 | |
| California farmlink - CA | California Farmlink | $300,000 | |
| Center for rural affairs community capital - NE | Center For Rural Affairs Community Capital | $200,000 | |
| Chehalis tribal loan fund - WA | Chehalis Tribal Loan Fund | $80,000 | |
| Community ventures corp - KY | Community Ventures Corporation, Inc. | $145,000 | |
| Economic and community development institute - OH | Economic And Community Development Institute, Inc. | $400,000 | |
| First childrens finance - MN | First Childrens Finance | $100,000 | |
| Grow nebraska foundation - NE | Grow Nebraska | $300,000 | |
| Initiative foundation - MN | Initiative Foundation | $300,000 |
Latest 10 of 461 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Credit Builders Alliance, Inc. | $2,851,360 | 4% |
| 2 | Economic And Community Development Institute, Inc. | $2,358,300 | 3% |
| 3 | Justine Petersen Housing And Reinvestment Corporation | $2,219,705 | 3% |
| 4 | Business Outreach Center Network, Inc. | $2,018,500 | 3% |
| 5 | National Association For Latino Community Asset Builders | $1,850,000 | 2% |
| 6 | Wisconsin Women's Business Initiative Corporation | $1,568,400 | 2% |
| 7 | Northeast Entrepreneur Fund, Inc. | $1,450,000 | 2% |
| 8 | Grow Nebraska | $1,430,800 | 2% |
| 9 | Communities Unlimited Inc. | $1,400,000 | 2% |
| 10 | California Association For Microenterprise Opportunity | $1,352,142 | 2% |
10 of 206 recipients listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2025 | -$470,065 |
| FY2024 | $6,897,000 |
| FY2023 | $7,511,800 |
| FY2022 | $6,860,110 |
| FY2021 | $4,639,453 |
| FY2020 | $5,221,851 |
| FY2019 | $4,554,560 |
| FY2018 | $4,844,480 |
| FY2017 | $4,893,633 |
| FY2016 | $4,101,667 |
| FY2015 | $4,900,000 |
| FY2014 | $3,590,301 |
| FY2012 | $3,155,464 |
| FY2011 | $7,621,892 |
| FY2010 | $7,093,636 |
| FY2009 | $50,000 |
| FY2006 | $712,717 |
Show all 17
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 59.050?
Assistance Listing 59.050 is Prime Technical Assistance, a federal grant program run by Small Business Administration.
What is the CFDA number for Prime Technical Assistance?
Its CFDA number is 59.050: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 59.050 awarded?
461 grant awards under 59.050 have obligated $75,860,249 in federal funds to 206 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 59.050?
The recipients obligated the most under Prime Technical Assistance are Credit Builders Alliance, Inc. ($2,851,360), Economic And Community Development Institute, Inc. ($2,358,300) and Justine Petersen Housing And Reinvestment Corporation ($2,219,705).
How much did 59.050 obligate in fiscal year 2025?
Grants under 59.050 obligated -$470,065 in federal funds in fiscal year 2025.
Are there open grant opportunities under 59.050?
No opportunity listed under 59.050 is open now. The latest, Program for investment in microentrepreneurs (prime) FY 2026, was posted on July 15, 2026.
On GovTribe
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