To fund private, nonprofit organizations to assist, through training and counseling, small business concerns owned and controlled by women, and to remove, in so far as possible, the discriminatory barriers that are encountered by women in accessing capital and promoting their businesses.

credit: Wikimedia Commons

Grants for this Program

• Option Year Workplan and Budget
• Women's Business Center Renewal Grant
• Women's Business Center
• Women’s Business Center Program Renewal Grant
• Women's Business Center Initial Phase Grant

More Grants for this Program...

Selected Recipients for this Program

Fiscal Year 2016: 17335000. Fiscal Year 2017: 18000000. Fiscal Year 2018: 16000000.

Uses and Use Restrictions

To establish women's business centers (WBCs) for the benefit of small business concerns owned and controlled by women.

The services provided by the women's business centers must include financial, management, procurement and marketing assistance to start-up or established concerns, as well as mentoring and Internet services.

Program participants that successfully complete the initial 5-year grant may apply for a 3-year renewal grant.

Successful participants may renew the grant every 3 years.

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Eligibility Requirements

Applicant Eligibility

Private, nonprofit organizations having experience in effectively training and counseling business women.

Public educational institutions and State and local governments are not eligible.

Beneficiary Eligibility

Women entrepreneurs starting their own business or expanding their existing business.

Credentials/Documentation

No Credentials or documentation are required. This program is excluded from coverage under 2 CFR 200, Subpart E - Cost Principles.

Aplication and Award Process

Preapplication Coordination

Preapplication coordination is required.

Environmental impact information is not required for this program.

This program is excluded from coverage under E.O.

12372.

Application Procedures

This program is excluded from coverage under 2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards. Applications are accepted in accordance with and up to the date specified in the annual program announcement as posted at www.grants.gov and www.sba.gov/wbc. The applicant must complete the Application for Federal Assistance (Standard Forms 424, 424A and 424B) and submit a written proposal addressing all of the selection criteria stated in the program announcement. The applicant must submit applications/proposals electronically through www.grants.gov (free training on electronic filing is available on the site) by the application closing date.

Award Procedures

Proposals of eligible applicants are evaluated by a review panel. Candidates for sustainability awards also undergo a site review as appropriate. The SBA/Office of Women's Business Ownership issues an award to each approved applicant.

Deadlines

Contact the headquarters or regional office, as appropriate, for application deadlines.

Authorization

Small Business Act, Section 29 (15 U.S.C. 656).

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time

Within 120 days from application deadline.

Appeals

Additional information available at SBA's website at www.sba.gov.

Renewals

Continued annual option awards are issued to successful award recipients through a five-year term without recompetition and also through a three-year term for the renewal recipients.

Assistance Considerations

Formula and Matching Requirements

This program has no statutory formula. Matching Requirements: For the initial phase WBC awards, the non-Federal entities are required to match awarded funds on a 1:2 ratio for the first 2 years of the grant and a 1:1 ratio for the subsequent 3 years. For Renewal grants, the non-Federal entity(ies) are required to match awarded funds on a 1:1 ratio for each of the 3 years of the grant. MOE requirements are not applicable to this program.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance

Initial and option year awards are issued annually, without recompetition, through the five-year grant term to compliant centers. See the following for information on how assistance is awarded/released: Additional information available at SBA's website at www.sba.gov.

Post Assistance Requirements

Reports

Information available at www.sba.gov/wbc.

Information available at www.sba.gov/wbc.

Information available at www.sba.gov/wbc.

Information available at www.sba.gov/wbc.

Information available at www.sba.gov/wbc.

Audits

In accordance with the provisions of 2 CFR 200, Subpart F - Audit Requirements, non-Federal entities that expend financial assistance of $750,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Non-Federal entities that expend less than $750,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in 2 CFR 200.503. Applicants must follow the requirements as listed in 2 CFR Chapter 1, Chapter II, Part 200, et al.

Records

The awardee shall maintain and submit detailed, complete and accurate client activity records to reflect clearly the nature and variety of services provided. Financial records must be kept until three years after the completion and submission of the final report.

Financial Information

Account Identification

73-0400-0-1-376.

Obigations

(Project Grants) FY 16 $17,335,000; FY 17 est $18,000,000; and FY 18 est $16,000,000

Range and Average of Financial Assistance

Additional information available at www.sba.gov/wbc.

Regulations, Guidelines, and Literature

OMB Circular 2 CFR 200.

Information Contacts

Regional or Local Office

See Regional Agency Offices. Women's business ownership representatives in each SBA district office. See Appendix IV of the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance under Small Business Administration.

Headquarters Office

Bruce Purdy 409 3rd St., SW 6th Floor, Washington, District of Columbia 20416 Email: bruce.purdy@sba.gov Phone: 202-205-7532

Criteria for Selecting Proposals

As stated in each solicitation for proposals, but including: B. EVALUATION CRITERIA FOR WBC APPLICANT TECHNICAL PROPOSAL a. Mission Alignment and Experience (up to 10 points), b. Organizational Experience and Capacity (up to 15 points), c. Market Assessment for Services Provided (up to 15 points), d. Project Objectives and Milestone (up to 20 points), e. Plans for Marketing and Collaboration with SBA and Other Community and Small Business Organizations (up to 10 points), f. Sources and Leverage of other Funds (up to 5 points), g. Financial Management Capability and Confirmation of Match (up to 15 points), h. Program Evaluation and Economic Impact (up to 5 points), and i. Technological Capabilities (up to 5 points).