SBA offers grants for business-development help
National organizations would provide training, guidance, counseling and mentoring to small companies to be successful in the federal marketplace.
Small Business Administration officials have roughly $5 million available for national business organizations to mentor small business in the federal marketplace to help them win contracts.
The Small Business Teaming Pilot Program was created by the Small Business Jobs Act, which became law in September. Under the program, SBA expects to award 10 to 20 grants between $250,000 and $500,000 each for fiscal year 2011, officials announced today.
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SBA is accepting grant proposals from well-established organizations interested in providing training, guidance, counseling and mentoring to small companies. Organizations also would have to help with procurement assistance in order to set up teaming arrangements, which may be in the form of joint ventures or prime and subcontractor relationships.
To be eligible for these grants, an applicant must:
- Be a private, nonprofit or for-profit entity.
- Have been in existence continually for the past three years.
- Have experience dealing with issues relating to small businesses on a national level.
- Demonstrate it has the capacity to provide assistance to small businesses.
“The teaming pilot program will help put contract dollars into the hands of small businesses,” SBA Administrator Karen Mills said in a statement.
SBA will accept proposals until Feb. 25.
For more information about the Small Business Teaming Pilot program, visit www.sba.gov/teaming.