7j Management and Technical Assistance Program

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 Business Development, which bears responsibility for administering the Management and Technical Assistance Program, is to administer the section 8(a) program, which offers business development assistance to over 9,000 small government contractors that, in addition to meeting other criteria, are certified by SBA as owned and controlled at least 51% by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals.  As a component of BD, the Office of Management and Technical Assistance (OMTA)implements the authority that section 7j of the Small Business Act vests with SBA to award contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements to private organizations to pay all or part of the costs of services and projects that provide management and technical assistance to 8(a) program participants and other socially and economically disadvantaged businesses, businesses located in areas of high concentrations of unemployment or low-incomes, and businesses owned by low- income individuals.  Annually, the 7j program reaches thousands of eligible businesses located throughout the United States and its territories.

The overarching mission of the Office of Government Contracting and Business Development is to assist small businesses compete for Federal prime contracting and to secure subcontracting opportunities from large businesses. Within the Office of Government Contracting and Business Development, the Office of Business Development's specific mission is to execute activities authorized under Sections 8(a) and 7j of the Small Business Act. Under the former, SBA provides business development assistance to firms that are owned and controlled by economically and socially disadvantaged individuals. Under the latter, SBA provides management and technical assistance to: (1) firm that are owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals; (2) low-income individuals; and, (3) firms and individuals located in areas of high unemployment and/or low income.  

This Funding Opportunity seeks proposal of efforts that are unique and innovative in the substance of the assistance to be provided to beneficiaries, and/or the methodology by which the assistance is to be provided.  SBA is seeking proposal of efforts that address the many challenges facing 8(a) and 7(j) eligible firms today including, but not limited to, teaming with other businesses, mastering the process of procuring a Federal government contract, reversing declines and turning around businesses, and securing loan financing or private equity funding.  Therefore, applicants may not propose efforts which merely duplicate any or all of the SBA’s ongoing array of management and technical assistance services, in substance and/or method of delivery.