WOMEN’S BUSINESS CENTER (WBC) - INITIAL PHASE GRANT

The purpose of this FOA is to provide funding for up to two private, non-profit organizations that will provide entrepreneurial development services to women, with an emphasis on socially and economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs, within the State of Maryland.Eligible applicants must be private, non-profit organizations with 501(c)- tax exempt status from the U.S. Treasury/Internal Revenue Service and must provide services to the State of Maryland.Note: Public non-profit organizations and for-profit businesses are not eligible for these awards. Public non-profits are organizations, such as churches, schools, and hospitals that generally provide charitable services directly to the public, that are funded in large part by public donations and have many outside, unaffiliated directors. An organization that is operating or has operated an SBA-funded WBC within the past five years, if selected, will be awarded as a Renewal Phase Project. Likewise, an organization that previously operated an SBA-funded WBC that is no longer operating, if eligible to apply and selected, will also be awarded as a Renewal Phase Project since this application will be treated as an effort to re-establish the WBC.Recognizing the important role that Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) (e.g., Historically Black Colleges and Universities [HBCUs], Hispanic-Serving Institutions [HSIs] from the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities [HACU], and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Institutions [AANAPISIs]) play in meeting the needs of socially and economically disadvantaged markets, this program announcement seeks to encourage MSIs to provide entrepreneurial development services to socially and economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs. MSIs and their auxiliary entities are encouraged to apply.Likewise, other organizations meeting the WBC program eligibility criteria and serving socially and economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs, are also encouraged to apply.

U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Women’s Business Ownership Tel: (202) 205-6673 | E-mail: owbo@sba.gov