Economic Development

SBA: Funding Competition Announced for Organizations Providing Entrepreneurship Training to Women Veterans

Awards Aim to Help Women Transition from Service to Entrepreneurship The U.S. Small Business Administration today announced that non-profit organizations and private sector firms are now eligible to compete for funding of up to $300,000 to deliver entrepreneurship training to women veterans. The application period begins today and continues through March 21, 2024.  Up to six grantees…

SBA: Updated Equity Action Plan Unveiled to Advance Commitment to Investing in Equity

Updates Focus on Providing Access to Capital and Entrepreneurial Support Services, Creating Economic Opportunities, and Advancing our National Economy Today,  Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the voice in President Biden’s Cabinet for America’s more than 33 million small businesses and startups, announced the SBA’s updated 2023 Equity Action Plan outlining actionable steps the…

SBA: America’s Seed Fund Road Tour Visits Florida and Puerto Rico to Engage Startups and Small Businesses Working on Innovative, High-Impact Ideas

SBA Program Assists Entrepreneurs with Accessing Important R&D Capital The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)visited Orlando, Fla., on Feb. 7, and Puerto Rico on Feb. 9 during its America’s Seed Fund Road Tour, a national outreach effort to connect entrepreneurs working on advanced and innovative technology to the country’s largest source of early-stage research and development grant and contract…

SBA: 200,000th Boots to Business Entrepreneurship Course Trainee Graduates

Federal Program Helps Veterans Transition from Service to Startup Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the 200,000th graduate of the Boots to Business (B2B) program. This milestone re-emphasizes the long-standing importance of military-connected entrepreneurs to the nation’s economy and celebrates 11 years of B2B instructor achievements nationwide and overseas.  “SBA’s Boots to Business program is about strengthening…

EDA: National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (NACIE) Releases Recommendations to Fuel and Strengthen U.S. Leadership in Technology Innovation

Today, the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (NACIE) released its “Competitiveness Through Entrepreneurship: A Strategy for U.S. Innovation” (PDF) report that includes 10 recommendations for how the U.S. Department of Commerce, the federal government, and the private sector can foster an entrepreneurship ecosystem that ensures the United States leads in critical technology innovation. U.S. Secretary…

EDA: $3.3 Million Invested to Support Business and Green Industry Growth in Louisiana

Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is investing $3.3 million in the state of Louisiana to support business and green industry growth. The EDA investments announced today are: “President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is spurring economic growth through targeted investments in Louisiana and across the country,” said…

SBA: Empower to Grow Announced, a Revitalization of the 7(j) Training Program to Enhance Small Disadvantaged Business Contract Readiness

Improvements to 7(j) Training Program Comes as SBA Releases New Data Showing Increase in Contracting Dollars for Small Disadvantaged Businesses Today, Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the voice in President Biden’s Cabinet for America’s more than 33 million small businesses, announced a slate of major improvements to the implementation of the…

EDA: $3.1 Million Invested to Support Economic Growth in Iberia Parish, LA

Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $3.1 million grant to Sewerage District No. 1 of Iberia Parish, New Iberia, Louisiana, for wastewater infrastructure improvements to support business and research growth in the Acadiana region. This grant will support the design and construction of a…

EDA: $2.3 Million Invested to Support Boatyard Modernization at the Port of Port Townsend, WA

Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $2.3 million grant to the Port of Port Townsend, Washington, to support the acquisition of critical maritime infrastructure needed to expand port operations. This grant will support the acquisition of a new, variable-width boat hoist with a 300-ton…

EDA: $1.2 Million Invested to Support Tribal Disaster Planning in Southwest Washington State

Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $1.2 million grant to the Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe, Tokeland, Washington, to prepare local infrastructure for natural disasters. This grant will support the development of a Master Community Relocation Plan to move Tribal facilities away from potential natural…