WASHINGTON – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) will hold two roundtable sessions this month to train organizations in West Virginia on best practices regarding the Women’s Business Center (WBC) grant application process.
Information for the upcoming roundtables:
Fairmont:
Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 10 a.m. EST
Robert H. Mollohan Research Center
1000 Galliher Drive
Fairmont, WV 26554
Huntington:
Thursday, Feb. 20 at 10 a.m. EST
Robert C. Byrd Institute
1050 4th Avenue
Huntington, WV 25701
The roundtables will explain how to apply for SBA Women’s Business Center grants and get the funding needed to reach more women business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs.
Organizations interested in attending should contact SBA Senior Area Business Opportunity Specialist Melissa.Loder@sba.gov at (304) 623-7448. Advance registration is requested.
The SBA’s WBC program is a national network of more than 100 locations that offer one-on-one counseling and training to women seeking to start businesses, grow their markets or expand through federal contracting opportunities or international trade.
Eligible applicants for the WBC grant must be private, nonprofit organizations with 501(c) tax-exempt status from the U.S. Treasury/Internal Revenue Service in West Virginia. This may include universities, foundations, chambers of commerce, or economic development institutions. The SBA recognizes the importance of Minority Serving Institutions (e.g., Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions from the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Institutions) and encourages their participation in the roundtable.
As part of the grant application process, interested applicants must register and receive a certificate from SAM.gov. The SAM.gov certification process for the SBA’s Women’s Business Centers can take up to 45 days. It is recommended that organizations begin the registration process immediately.
Questions about the WBC funding opportunity can be directed to the SBA’s Office of Women’s Business Ownership (OWBO) at owbo@sba.gov.
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About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality.
As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster.
It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.