SBA Releases Grants To Small Business Development Centers

The first six of a series of grants to Small Business Development Centers around the country to expand access to programs to help entrepreneurs start or grow their businesses and create jobs were announced today by Deputy Administrator Marie Johns of the U.S. Small Business Administration.

These first six grants are part of $50 million in funding included in the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 signed by the President last September.

A key provision of the Jobs Act provides separate one-time funding to the SBDCs to support job creation and retention within the small business community through in-depth business counseling and advising entrepreneurs and small business owners. SBDCs in Alaska, California (Northeastern SBDC program), Idaho, Iowa, Michigan, and South Carolina are the first to receive funding grants from the Jobs Act to expand training and business advisory services.

“The Small Business Jobs Act is the most consequential piece of legislation affecting small businesses enacted in more than a decade,” Johns said.

“It provided an array of tools to help small businesses continue to drive economic growth and create jobs, including these grants to expand access to SBDCs around the country which provide valuable business counseling and technical assistance. Whether you’re an entrepreneur working on a business plan to start your own business, or a small business owner who’s looking to take your firm to the next level and add more employees, SBDC counselors are in a position to help.”

Funding is allocated to each SBDC under a statutory funding formula based on state population. Additional awards to remaining SBDCs will be issued throughout the coming weeks.