Expanding entrepreneurship

Section 4 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 633) is amended by adding at the end the following:

(g)

Management and direction

(1)

Plan for entrepreneurial development and job creation strategy

The Administrator shall develop and submit to Congress a plan, in consultation with a representative from each of the agency's entrepreneurial development programs, for using the Small Business Administration’s entrepreneurial development programs to create jobs during fiscal years 2010 and 2011. The plan shall include the Administration’s plan for drawing on existing programs, including Small Business Development Centers, Women’s Business Centers, SCORE, Veterans Business Centers, Native American Outreach, and other appropriate programs. The Administrator shall identify a strategy for each Administration region to create or retain jobs through Administration programs. The Administrator shall identify, in consultation with appropriate personnel from entrepreneurial development programs, performance measures and criteria, including job creation, job retention, and job retraining goals, to evaluate the success of the Administration’s actions regarding these efforts. (2)

Data collection process

The Administrator shall, after notice and opportunity for comment, promulgate a rule to develop and implement a consistent data collection process to cover all entrepreneurial development programs. Such data collection process shall include data relating to job creation, performance, and any other data determined appropriate by the Administrator with respect to the Administration’s entrepreneurial development programs. (3)

Coordination and Alignment of SBA Entrepreneurial Development Programs

The Administrator shall submit annually to Congress, in consultation with other Federal departments and agencies as appropriate, a report on opportunities to foster coordination, limit duplication, and improve program delivery for Federal entrepreneurial development programs. (4)

Database of Entrepreneurial Development Service Providers

The Administrator shall, after a period of 60 days for public comment, establish a database of providers of entrepreneurial development services and, make such database available through the Administration’s Web site. The database shall be searchable by industry, geography, and service required. (5)

Community Specialist

The Administrator shall designate not less than one staff member in each Administration district office as a community specialist who has as their full-time responsibility working with local entrepreneurial development service providers to increase coordination with Federal resources. The Administrator shall develop benchmarks for measuring the performance of community specialists under this subsection. (6)

Entrepreneurial Development Portal

The Administrator shall publish a design for a Web-based portal to provide comprehensive information on the Administration’s entrepreneurial development programs. After a period of 60 days for public comment, the Administrator shall establish such portal and— (A)integrate under one Web portal, Small Business Development Centers, Women's Business Centers, SCORE, Veterans Business Centers, the Administration’s distance learning program, and other programs as appropriate; (B)revise the Administration’s primary Web site so that the Web portal described in subparagraph (A) is available as a link on the main Web page of the Web site; (C)increase consumer-oriented content on the Administration’s Web site and focus on promoting access to business solutions, including marketing, financing, and human resources planning; (D)establish relevant Web content aggregated by industry segment, stage of business development, level of need, and include referral links to appropriate Administration services, including financing, training and counseling, and procurement assistance; and (E)provide style guidelines and links for visitors to the Administration’s Web site to be able to comment on and evaluate the materials in terms of their usefulness. (7)

Pilot programs

The Administrator may not conduct any pilot program for a period of greater than 3 years if the program conflicts with, or uses the resources of, any of the entrepreneurial development programs authorized under section 8(b)(1)(B), 21, 29, 32, or any other provision of this Act.