WOMEN’S BUSINESS CENTER (WBC) - INITIAL PHASE GRANT | OWBO 2020 03

Opportunity Information: Apply for OWBO 2020 03

The WOMEN'S BUSINESS CENTER (WBC) - Initial Phase Grant (Funding Opportunity Number: OWBO 2020 03) is a discretionary grant program offered by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) under CFDA 59.043, focused on business and commerce activities. Its core goal is to fund the launch of new, community-based Women's Business Centers in South Carolina that deliver entrepreneurial development services to women. A central priority of the program is expanding support for socially and economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs, meaning applicants should be prepared to show how their proposed center will effectively reach and serve women who face barriers to business ownership and growth.

The SBA expects to make two awards under this opportunity, with an award ceiling of $150,000 per grant. These funds are intended to help selected organizations start up and operate a new WBC presence in the state, providing services typically associated with entrepreneurial development such as training, counseling, technical assistance, and other capacity-building supports that help clients start, stabilize, or expand small businesses. The emphasis on being "community-based" signals that the SBA is looking for organizations that have credible local connections, a service model grounded in the realities of the communities they serve, and a plan to deliver accessible programming across their target region(s) in South Carolina.

Eligibility is limited to private, nonprofit organizations that hold current 501(c) tax-exempt status recognized by the U.S. Treasury/Internal Revenue Service, and that will provide services within the State of South Carolina. The solicitation explicitly excludes for-profit businesses and public nonprofit organizations. In the context provided, "public nonprofits" are described as entities such as churches, schools, and hospitals that generally provide charitable services directly to the public, are funded largely through public donations, and have many outside, unaffiliated directors. In practical terms, applicants need to fit the SBA's definition of an eligible private nonprofit and be able to document their tax-exempt status and operational capability to deliver the required services in South Carolina.

An important detail is how the SBA categorizes applicants based on prior involvement with SBA-funded WBCs. While this announcement is framed as an "Initial Phase" grant opportunity aimed at starting a new center, any organization that is currently operating, or has operated, an SBA-funded WBC within the past five years will not be treated as an initial-phase awardee if selected. Instead, it will be awarded under the Renewal Phase Project category. Similarly, an organization that previously operated an SBA-funded WBC that has since closed, if otherwise eligible and selected, would also be treated as a Renewal Phase Project because SBA would view the application as an effort to re-establish a previously funded WBC rather than create an entirely new one.

Timing-wise, the opportunity was posted on February 11, 2020, with an original closing date of March 11, 2020. The funding instrument is a grant, and the administering agency is the SBA. Overall, the opportunity is best understood as a targeted investment to expand or re-establish WBC capacity in South Carolina through two private nonprofit operators that can demonstrate strong local reach, a credible plan to deliver high-quality entrepreneurial services, and a clear focus on women entrepreneurs who are socially and economically disadvantaged.

• The Small Business Administration in the business and commerce sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "WOMEN’S BUSINESS CENTER (WBC) - INITIAL PHASE GRANT" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 59.043.
• This funding opportunity was created on Feb 11, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 11, 2020. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $150,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

Apply for OWBO 2020 03

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