[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 129 (Friday, July 5, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 44920]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-16785]


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SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION


Federal Assistance for Women's Business Centers (WBC) To Provide 
Financial Counseling and Other Technical Assistance to Women

AGENCY: Small Business Administration.

ACTION: Program Announcement No. OWBO-2002-018.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) plans to issue 
program announcement No. OWBO-2002-018 to invite applications from 
eligible nonprofit organizations to conduct Women's Business Center 
(WBC) projects. The successful applicant will receive a cooperative 
agreement to provide counseling, training and other technical 
assistance to women who want to start or expand businesses. The 
authorizing legislation is the Small Business Act, Secs. 2(h) and 29, 
15 U.S.C. 631(h) and 656. Approximately three (3) grants will be 
awarded.
    A Women's Business Center is a 5-year community-based project that 
is funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration through a matching 
grant. The project is a planned scope of activities that provide 
business skills services targeted to women. The project must operate as 
a distinct unit of the recipient's organization having its own budget 
for facilities, equipment and resources to carry out project 
activities. The WBC services must include long-term training and 
counseling pertaining to financial, management and marketing assistance 
to benefit small business concerns owned and controlled by women. SBA 
Headquarters must receive applications/proposals by 4:00 p.m., Eastern 
Standard Time, on the closing date of August 12, 2002. SBA will select 
successful applicants using a competitive technical evaluation process. 
Applicants from states and territories without an SBA-funded Women's 
Business Center will receive special consideration. States and U.S. 
territories without a center are Delaware, Guam, Ohio, South Carolina 
and West Virginia.
    Service and assistance areas must include financial, management, 
marketing, loan packaging, eCommerce, government procurement/
certification assistance and training on the business uses of the 
Internet. Applicants must plan to include women who are socially and 
economically disadvantaged in the target group. The applicant may 
propose specialized services that will assist women in Empowerment 
Zones, agribusiness, rural or urban areas, etc. The applicant may 
propose to serve women who are veterans, women with home-based 
businesses, women with disabilities, etc. SBA will request award 
recipients to provide content and support activities to the SBA Online 
Women's Business Center, www.onlinewbc,gov.
    The applicants' technical proposal must contain information about 
its current status and past performance. Also, the applicant must 
provide a 5-year plan for service delivery, fund-raising, training and 
technical assistance activities. The grant will be issued annually 
through a 5-year term without re-competition. The non-Federal match 
requirement is one non-Federal dollar for each two Federal dollars in 
years 1 and 2; and one non-Federal dollar for each Federal dollar in 
years 3, 4, and 5. Up to one-half of the non-Federal match funds may be 
in the form of in-kind contributions (i.e., 50% of match must be in 
cash).

DATES: The opening date of the application period is July 15, 2002 and 
the closing date is August 12, 2002.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sally Murrell, (202) 205-6673 or 
Sharon Gurley (202) 205-6622.

Wilma Goldstein,
Assistant Administrator, SBA/Office of Women's Business Ownership.
[FR Doc. 02-16785 Filed 7-3-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8025-01-P