SBA Announces $700 Thousand Grant Funding Opportunity for Small Native American Businesses for Innovative Projects to Help Small Disadvantaged Businesses

The U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) announced that it is seeking grant proposals to award up to $700 thousand in grant funding for projects that promote the development of innovative and successful Native American firms that are eligible for assistance under the SBA’s 7(j) Management and Technical Assistance Program.

The SBA expects to award three to seven grants to provide funding opportunities for Native American Micro Enterprise Business Services. 

There is no matching fund requirement, and applications will be accepted through July 11, 2015. 

The grant funding will be made to service providers to enable them to make unique management and technical assistance services available to eligible Native American small businesses that are approved by the SBA to receive services.  Specifically, the SBA is seeking unique and innovative projects to provide specialized training, executive education, and tools to promote business development of Native American small businesses.  However, grants cannot be used by small businesses themselves as a source of funding to grow or otherwise expand their individual enterprises.

Through this funding, the SBA is seeking proposals that center on the unique and innovative approaches to addressing the many challenges Native American firms and other 7(j) eligible firms face, including, but not limited to:

teaming with other businesses;

mastering the process of federal contracting; and

reversing declines and re-energizing small businesses.

To submit a proposal for this funding opportunity, an applicant:

may be a for-profit or not-for-profit entity (including, but not limited to small businesses, other-than small businesses, trade and professional associations, and educational institutions);

must have been in existence continually for at least the past three years;

must demonstrate substantive experience dealing with issues relating to small business; and,

must demonstrate that it has the capacity to provide assistance to small businesses.

For more information, go to the http://www.Grants.gov website, and search for Program Announcement number ONAA-7j-2015-01.