On June 11, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), announced grant funding opportunities worth $30 million. The SBA is an independent government agency that offers support to small businesses.
The funding opportunity will expand the network of Women’s Business Centers (WBCs) across the country. More than 150 centers are already in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. But for the first time ever, a WBC will open in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Organizations awarded the funds will use them to open and operate a WBC, but those organizations must be a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit that provides “entrepreneurial development services to women, specifically women in areas that have been socially and economically disadvantaged within the U.S. and its territories.”
This opportunity is open to women entrepreneurs in government contracting; child care services; and women entrepreneurial development. Some funding has been allocated to opening the WBC in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Christina Hale, assistant administrator for the SBA’s Office of Women’s Business Ownership, claims that every new WBC will help open “doors for women entrepreneurs who need access to training and practical assistance to stand up and grow their small businesses. By investing in women's economic potential, the SBA is fostering innovation, creating jobs, and strengthening our communities.”