[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 126 (Wednesday, July 1, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37705-37706]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-16145]


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SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION


Action Subject to Intergovernmental Review Under Executive Order 
12372

AGENCY: U.S. Small Business Administration.

ACTION: Notice of Action Subject to Intergovernmental Review Under 
Executive Order 12372.

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SUMMARY: The Small Business Administration (SBA) is notifying the 
public that it intends to fund grant applications for 22 existing Small 
Business Development Centers (SBDCs) beginning October 1, 2015 subject 
to the availability of funds. A description of the SBDC program is 
contained in the supplementary information below.
    The SBA is publishing this notice at least 90 days before the 
expected funding date. The SBDCs mailing addresses listed below are 
participating in the intergovernmental review process. A copy of this 
notice also is being furnished to the respective State single points of 
contact designated under the Executive Order.

DATES: A State single point of contact and other interested State or 
local entities may submit written comments regarding funding of an SBDC 
within 30 days from the date of publication of this notice. Please 
address any comments to the relevant SBDC State Director listed below.

ADDRESSES: 

               Addresses of Relevant SBDC State Directors
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mr. Rande Kessler, SBDC State Director,  Ms. Kristina Oliver, SBDC State
 University of Louisiana, Monroe, 700     Director, West Virginia
 University Avenue, Admin 2-101,          Development Office, 1900
 Monroe, LA 71209-6435, (318) 342-5506.   Kanawha Blvd., Capitol
                                          Complex, Building 6, Room 652,
                                          Charleston, WV 25305, (304)
                                          558-2960.
Mr. Mike Bowman, SBDC State Director,    Ms. Carmen Marti, SBDC
 University of Delaware, One Innovation   Director, Inter American
 Way, Suite 301, Newark, DE 19711,        University of Puerto Rico, 416
 (302) 831-4283.                          Ponce de Leon Avenue, Union
                                          Plaza, Seventh Floor, San
                                          Juan, PR 00918, (787) 763-
                                          6811.
Ms. Becky Naugle, SBDC State Director,   Ms. Rene Sprow, SBDC State
 University of Kentucky, One Quality      Director, Univ. of
 Street, Lexington, KY 40507, (859) 257-  Maryland@College Park, 7100
 7668.                                    Baltimore Avenue, Suite 402,
                                          Baltimore, MD 20740, (301) 403-
                                          8300.
Mr. Chris Bouchard, SBDC State           Ms. Lisa Shimkat, SBDC State
 Director, University of Missouri, 410    Director, Iowa State
 South Sixth Street, 200 Engineering      University, 2321 North Loop
 North, Columbia, MO 65211, (573) 884-    Drive, Suite 202, Ames, IA
 1555.                                    50010-8218, (515) 294-2037.
Ms. Leonor Dottin-Carrillo, SBDC
 Director, University of the Virgin
 Islands, 8000 Niskey Center, Suite
 720, St. Thomas, USVI 00802-5804,
 (340) 776-3206.
------------------------------------------------------------------------


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Vicky Mundt, Director of Financial 
Oversight, Office of Small Business Development Centers, U.S. Small 
Business Administration, 409 Third Street SW., Sixth Floor, Washington, 
DC 20416.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Description of the SBDC Program

    Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) provide a wide array of 
technical assistance to small businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs 
supporting business performance and sustainability and enhancing the 
creation of new businesses entities. These small businesses in turn 
foster local and regional economic development through job creation and 
retention as a result of the extensive one-on-one long-term counseling, 
training and specialized services they receive from the SBDCs. The 
SBDCs are made up of a unique collaboration of SBA, state and local 
governments, and private sector funding resources.
    SBDCs provide clients with professional business assistance 
regarding business plans, market research, financial preparation 
packages, cash flow, and procurement contracts. Special emphasis areas 
include: Manufacturing; international trade and export assistance; e-
commerce; technology transfer; assistance for veterans, both active 
duty and personnel returning from deployment; disaster recovery 
assistance; IRS, EPA, and OSHA regulatory compliance; as well as 
research and development. Based on client needs, business trends and 
individual business requirements, SBDCs modify their services to meet 
the evolving needs through more than 900 local service delivery points 
across the nation and all U.S. Territories.
    SBDCs deliver these services to small business concerns using an 
effective education network of 63 Lead Centers reaching out to both 
rural and urban areas, serving entrepreneurs of all types throughout a 
state or region. SBDCs can

[[Page 37706]]

be found in every U.S. state, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto 
Rico, American Samoa and the U.S. Virgin Islands. SBDCs provide 
professional business counseling free of charge along with low cost 
training.
    To reach the millions of small businesses across the U.S., SBDC 
assistance is available virtually anywhere: from rural circuit riders 
in Alaska to marine services in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Many 
centers are located within or are co-located with: Local economic 
development entities; chambers of commerce; Department of Defense's 
Procurement Technical Assistance Centers; The Department of Commerce's 
Manufacturing Extension Partnership sites; and community colleges. Some 
SBDCs also have International Trade Centers and some are classified by 
a special emphasis on Technology.
    Lead Center SBDCs hosts include:
     48 University-sponsored Lead SBDCs
    2 SBDC locations are located at Historically Black Colleges and 
Universities (Howard University in Washington, DC and the University of 
the Virgin Islands, U.S.V.I.).
     8 Community college-sponsored Lead SBDCs
    Dallas-TX, UT, OR, NM, AZ, San Diego-CA, Los Angeles, CA, and 
American Samoa
     7 State-sponsored Lead SBDCs (CO, IL, IN, MN, MT, OH, & 
WV).

Program Objectives

    The SBDC program uses Federal funds to leverage the resources of 
states, academic institutions and the private sector to:
    (a) Strengthen the nation's small business communities;
    (b) increase local economic growth;
    (c) ensure inclusiveness by broadening the impact of SBDC technical 
assistance to underserved markets.

SBDC Program Organization

    Through a partnership between SBA and institutions of higher 
education and state government, a network of 63 lead SBDCs are managed 
by the Office of Small Business Development Centers (OSBDC). The local 
District Offices have a Project Officer to ensure each SBDC provides 
quality services and is in compliance with its negotiated Cooperative 
Agreement with the SBA. OSBDC has six Program Managers who each have a 
portfolio of 10-12 SBDCs for which they are responsible for SBDC 
performance management. OSBDC also has three Grants Managers along with 
a finance staff who oversee the issuance and budget aspects of the 
Cooperative Agreement. SBDCs operate on the basis of an annual proposed 
plan to provide assistance within a state or geographic area. The 
initial plan must have the written approval of the Governor. Non-
Federal funds must match Federal funds by 1:1.

SBDC Services

    An SBDC must have a full range of business development and 
technical assistance services in its area of operations, supporting 
local small business needs, SBA priorities and established SBDC program 
objectives. Services include training and professional business 
advising to existing and prospective small business owners in all areas 
of small firm establishment and growth, including: management; online 
and social media and marketing; finance and access to capital; 
exporting and international trade; manufacturing; and business 
operations, including disaster mitigation.
    The SBA district office and the SBDC negotiate annually through 
this funding announcement the specific mix of services and best use of 
program funds to meet mutually agreed upon annual milestones, giving 
particular attention to SBA's annual priorities and special emphasis 
groups, including veterans, women, the disabled, and other minorities.

SBDC Program Requirements

    An SBDC must meet required programmatic and financial requirements 
established by statute, regulations, other program directive and its 
Cooperative Agreement. Following these guidelines an SBDC must:
    (a) Provide services that are accessible to all persons, especially 
those who identify as disabled;
    (b) open all service centers during normal business hours of the 
community or during the normal business hours of its state or academic 
Host Organization, throughout the year;
    (c) develop working relationships with financial institutions, the 
investment communities, professional associations, private consultants 
and local small business groups;
    (d) establish a lead center which operates and oversees a statewide 
or regional network of SBDC service centers;
    (e) have a full-time Director; and
    (f) expend at least 80 percent of the Federal funds to provide 
direct client services to small businesses.

Scott Henry,
Acting Associate Administrator, Office of Small Business Development 
Centers.
[FR Doc. 2015-16145 Filed 6-30-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8025-01-P