The U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Small Business Development Centers is offering this grant to support portable small business assistance programs.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) plans to issue Program Announcement No. OSBDC-2011-04 to invite application from existing SBDC recipient organization currently funded under the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) program as authorized by Section 21(n) of the Small Business Act, (15 USC Section 648); Public Law 110-186, Section 107. Applicants will develop portable assistance programs to support the start up and sustainability of small business concerns in communities that are economically challenged as a result of a business or government facility downsizing or closing, which has resulted in the loss of jobs or small business instability.

The SBDC program is the SBA�s largest matching grant-funded service delivery network providing high quality business and economic development assistance to small businesses and nascent entrepreneurs in order to promote growth, expansion, innovation, increased productivity and management improvement. The SBDCs, in partnership with SBA�s Office of Small Business Development Centers (OSBDC) and SBA District Offices, develop programs and provide business management and other services that enhance the economic development goals and objectives of SBA and their other respective state and local funding partners. The SBDC program is a broad-based system of assistance for the small business community that links the resources of Federal, state, and local governments with those of the educational community and the private sector. Although SBA is responsible for the general management and oversight of the SBDC program, a partnership exists between SBA and the recipient organization to effectuate the delivery of assistance to the small business community.

Questions about this program announcement should be directed to the Office of Small Business Development Centers at the SBA, at (202) 205-6766.