WASHINGTON – Eight new Veterans Business Outreach Centers (VBOCs) funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration will join seven existing SBA centers to provide entrepreneurial development services to eligible military veterans and reservists who own or start small businesses. SBA is providing a total of $2.5 million in grants to the centers, continuing funding to the existing centers, and new funding for the new centers.
“Our service men and women have made invaluable contributions and sacrifices for our country and supporting them as they pursue their life’s dreams to start or grow their own business is one of our highest priorities,” SBA Administrator Karen Mills said. “Through these centers, we stand ready with a myriad of support, from entrepreneurial education and training to linking them with opportunities to compete for federal contracts and access much-needed capital – critical tools that will help them take their business to the next level, drive economic growth and create jobs.”
Services provided by the VBOCs include outreach, assessment, long and short-term business training, counseling, directed referring, electronic or on-line assistance and other technical assistance services to veterans, service disabled veterans, and U.S. Military Reserve Component business owners and entrepreneurs.
Veterans Business Outreach Center locations include:
REGION I (Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire)
Northeast Veterans Business Resource Center - Existing
Lawrence, Massachusetts
REGION II (New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands)
State University of New York SUNY at Farmingdale - Existing
Albany, New York
Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey - New
Newark, New Jersey
REGION III (Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, District of Columbia)
Old Dominion University - New
Norfolk, Virginia
University of Pennsylvania - New
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
REGION IV (Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Mississippi, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina)
University of West Florida, Pensacola - Existing
Pensacola, Florida
Fayetteville State University - New
Fayetteville, North Carolina
REGION V (Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Ohio, Indiana)
VetBiz Central - Existing
Flint, Michigan
REGION VI (Texas, New Mexico, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma)
University of Texas - Pan American - Existing
Edinburg, Texas
New Mexico Department of Veterans’ Services - New
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Southwest Louisiana Business Development Center - New
Jennings, Louisiana
REGION VII (Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska)
Veterans Advocacy Foundation - Existing
Saint Louis, Missouri
REGION VIII (Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado)
Chippewa Cree Tribe - New
Box Elder, Montana
REGION IX (California, Arizona, Guam, Hawaii, Nevada)
Vietnam Veterans of California - Existing
Sacramento, California
University of Guam - New
Mangilao, Guam
In addition to these grants to the Veteran Business Outreach Centers, SBA recently awarded grants to 10 local SBA Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) to increase entrepreneurial assistance to veterans.
For more information about SBA’s Veterans Business Outreach Centers (VBOCs), visit www.sba.gov/VETS . For information about all of the SBA’s programs and services, visit www.sba.gov.
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