WOMEN’S BUSINESS CENTER (WBC) - INITIAL PHASE GRANT | OWBO 2020 02

Opportunity Information: Apply for OWBO 2020 02

The WOMEN'S BUSINESS CENTER (WBC) - INITIAL PHASE GRANT is a federal funding opportunity administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) through its Office of Women's Business Ownership (OWBO). It is listed as a discretionary opportunity and would be awarded as a cooperative agreement, which typically means the SBA expects to have substantial involvement during the project period compared with a standard grant. The program sits under the Business and Commerce activity category and is associated with CFDA number 59.043, which corresponds to the Women s Business Center Program. In practical terms, this opportunity is aimed at launching or establishing new Women s Business Center services in an initial phase, with the broader goal of expanding access to business training, counseling, and other forms of technical assistance for women entrepreneurs.

This specific funding announcement is identified by Funding Opportunity Number OWBO 2020 02, with a creation date of January 16, 2020. The original application deadline was February 18, 2020, and the notice emphasizes that applications had to be submitted through Grants.gov no later than 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time on that date. The announcement repeatedly instructs applicants to review the full Notice of Funding Opportunity (NoFo) package for complete program details, required application components, and the selection criteria used to evaluate proposals, suggesting that key requirements and expectations (such as what constitutes an eligible service area, required partnerships, staffing plans, matching funds or cost share rules if any, and performance reporting expectations) are spelled out in the full NoFo rather than in the brief synopsis.

In terms of funding scale and competition, the opportunity lists an award ceiling of $150,000 and anticipates making approximately two awards. That combination indicates a relatively small number of funded projects, which usually implies a competitive review process where proposal quality, organizational capacity, and alignment with program goals matter a great deal. Because the instrument is a cooperative agreement, prospective applicants generally need to be prepared for closer coordination with SBA during implementation, which can include federal input on program delivery approaches, milestone tracking, and performance measurement.

Eligibility is described broadly as "Others," with the note to consult the Additional Information on Eligibility section in the full NoFo for clarification. In many SBA opportunities, that language commonly signals that eligibility may be limited to certain types of organizations (often nonprofit entities, educational institutions, or similar public or private organizations) that can demonstrate the ability to provide small business assistance, maintain appropriate financial and management systems, and operate in compliance with federal requirements. However, the precise eligibility rules, any geographic targeting, and any restrictions on prior WBC participation would be determined by the full NoFo package.

Overall, this opportunity is best understood as SBA funding intended to stand up new Women s Business Center capacity during an initial phase, with up to $150,000 per award and only a handful of awards expected. Anyone evaluating this program historically or preparing a similar application would want to focus on what the full NoFo requires around program design (training and advising services), measurable outcomes for women-owned and women-led businesses, organizational experience delivering entrepreneur support programs, governance and staffing plans, community partnerships, and the compliance and reporting responsibilities that come with a cooperative agreement.

• The Small Business Administration in the business and commerce sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "WOMEN’S BUSINESS CENTER (WBC) - INITIAL PHASE GRANT" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 59.043.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jan 16, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 18, 2020 NOTE Please note that the application closing date is 2/18/2020 at 115959p.m. Proposals responding to this NoFo must be posted to www.grants.gov by no later than 115959p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, on February 18, 2020.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $150,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for OWBO 2020 02

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