Group items tagged

Since its inception in 1953, SBA has served to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small businesses. While 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 SBA's Office of Innovation & Technology, which bears responsibility for administering the FAST Program, is to strengthen the technological competitiveness of small businesses across the country through coordination of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. The FAST program focuses on increasing the participation of small firms in the innovation and commercialization of high risk technologies, keeping the United States on the cutting edge of next generation research and development.

Since its inception in 1953, the 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, measured by outcomes such as successful business start-ups and capital infusion .

The STTR program is congressionally mandated and intended to support scientific excellence and technological innovation through the investment of federal research funds to build a strong national economy by: stimulating technological innovation in the private sector; strengthening the role of small business in meeting federal research and development needs; increasing the commercial application of federally supported research results; and fostering and encouraging participation by socially and economically disadvantaged and women-owned small businesses. The STTR program solicits proposals from the small business sector consistent with NSF's mission to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; and to secure the national defense.

The SBIR program is congressionally mandated and intended to support scientific excellence and technological innovation through the investment of federal research funds to build a strong national economy by: stimulating technological innovation in the private sector; strengthening the role of small business in meeting federal research and development needs; increasing the commercial application of federally supported research results; and fostering and encouraging participation by socially and economically disadvantaged and women-owned small businesses. The SBIR program solicits proposals from the small business sector consistent with NSF's mission to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; and to secure the national defense.

The SBIR program is congressionally mandated and intended to support scientific excellence and technological innovation through the investment of federal research funds to build a strong national economy by: stimulating technological innovation in the private sector; strengthening the role of small business in meeting federal research and development needs; increasing the commercial application of federally supported research results; and fostering and encouraging participation by socially and economically disadvantaged and women-owned small businesses. The SBIR program solicits proposals from the small business sector consistent with NSF's mission to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; and to secure the national defense.

The SBDC program is the SBA's largest matching grant, funding a service delivery network to provide high quality business and economic development assistance to small businesses and nascent entrepreneurs in order to promote growth, expansion, innovation, increased productivity and management improvement. The SBDCs, in partnership with SBA's Office of Small Business Development Centers (OSBDC) and SBA District Offices, develop programs and provide business management and other services that enhance the economic development goals and objectives of SBA and their other respective state and local funding partners.

The purpose of this Program Announcement is to invite proposals from Public and Private Institutions interested in obtaining funding for continuation of the VWISE National Entrepreneurship Training Program designed to train female veterans and transitioning service personnel interested in starting new small businesses, and current spouses or companions of veteran small business owners interested in expanding/diversifying existing firms. This Program Announcement is subject to the availability of funding.

The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is pleased to announce the availability of funds for the Refugee Microenterprise Development Project. ORR has supported microenterprise development projects since 1991 through the award of discretionary grants to a variety of public agencies, community economic development agencies, local mutual assistance associations, and voluntary agencies. The broad goals of this program are to: 1. Assist refugees in becoming economically self-sufficient by owning and managing a small business, 2. Provide seed money to refugee serving organizations to start and develop microenterprise program that will serve refugees at sustained and expanded levels, and 3. Help mainstream organizations develop the experience of serving refugee populations. In order to achieve these objectives, award recipients under this announcement will provide pre-business and post-business technical assistance as well as capital to refugee entrepreneurs.

A microenterprise development organization or program (or group or Collaborative thereof) such as a non-profit Community Development Financial Institution or similar entity, that has a demonstrated record of delivering microenterprise services to disadvantaged entrepreneurs or An Intermediary (as defined in Section 8.1) which has experience in delivering technical assistance to disadvantaged entrepreneurs; or A microenterprise development organization or program (as defined in Section 8.1)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 it can certify that no private organization or program referred to in paragraph in paragraphs (1) exists within its jurisdiction. Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: Yes, 50%. Expected Number of Awards: SBA anticipates issuing approximately 35 awards under this Announcement.