Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced a new funding opportunity for up to $400,000 to be awarded to up to 12 entities including private organizations, colleges and universities, private sector firms, nonprofit organizations and state, local or tribal governmental agencies to provide critical training and counseling to aspiring and existing veteran small business owners as a Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC). The news comes ahead of National Veterans Small Business Week 2022, one of the Agency’s flagship events, taking place October 31 – November 4, that will put the spotlight on one of the Biden-Harris Administration’s priorities – supporting our servicemembers, veterans, and their families at every stage of the entrepreneurial journey.
“Under Administrator Guzman, the SBA remains committed to providing more local resources for veteran entrepreneurs, a critical but under-resourced group of entrepreneurs among the small business community,” said Larry Stubblefield, Associate Administrator for the SBA’s Office of Veterans Business Development. “As the focus on serving underserved communities becomes increasingly important, OVBD expects the demand for VBOCs will continue to grow. This expansion will grow the VBOC program from 22 to 34 locations nationwide and assist in supporting veteran small business owners in all U.S. states and territories. The additional locations aim to enhance the experience for veteran small business owners by reducing appointment wait times, increasing local presence, providing additional local training opportunities, meeting the needs of Boots to Business participants, and ensuring that all VBOCs have the necessary resources to perform required counseling and training functions.”
With this SBA funding, grant awardees will be able to provide training to transitioning service members and military spouses through the Boots to Business entrepreneurship training program, which is part of the Department of Defense’s Transition Assistance Program. Additionally, applicants will provide counseling, technical assistance, financial skill development, comprehensive business assessments, and mentoring services to veterans, transitioning service members, Reserve and National Guard members, and military spouses interested in starting or growing a small business.
Organizations across Alaska, Central California, Colorado, Kentucky, Nebraska, Iowa, Nevada, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, and South Florida may apply for a portion of the total $4.1million in funding available for this program in Fiscal Year 2023.
Each award is made for a base project period of 12 months, with four 12-month option periods, starting May 1, 2023. Additional information about the funding opportunity, including specific coverage areas and instructions on how to apply, can be found at www.grants.gov and by searching “SB-OVVB-23-001.”
Applications submitted via other media, including SBA’s website, will be rejected and will not be evaluated. Applications must be submitted via grants.gov no later than 11:50 p.m. EST on Wednesday, November 23, 2022.
SBA’s Office of Veterans Business Development will host information sessions on the funding opportunity via this Microsoft Teams link or this call-in number (202-765-1264; access code: 265 542 768#) at the following times:
- Thursday, October 13: 3-4 p.m. EDT
- Tuesday, October 25: 1-2 p.m. EDT
- Monday, November 7: 4-5 p.m. EST
- Wednesday, November 16: 1-2 p.m. EST
Please direct all questions about the VBOC funding opportunity to Tangela Liddell at tangela.liddell@sba.gov. For issues with grants.gov, please call the Grants.gov Support Line at 1-800-518-4726 or email support@grants.gov.
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About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
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