[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 126 (Wednesday, July 1, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37706-37708]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-16149]


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SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION


Actions Subject to Intergovernmental Review

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 41 existing Small 
Business Development Centers (SBDCs) beginning January 1, 2016 subject 
to the availability of funds. A description of the SBDC program is 
contained in the supplementary information.
    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
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Mr. Sherman Wilkinson, SBDC State        Mr. Herbert Thweatt, SBDC
 Director, Salt Lake Community College,   Director, American Samoa
 9750 South 300 West, Sandy, UT 84070,    Community College, P.O. Box
 (801) 957-5384.                          2609, Pago Pago, American
                                          Samoa 96799, (684) 699-4830

[[Page 37707]]

 
Ms. Michele Abraham, SBDC State          Mr. Michael Myhre, SBDC State
 Director, University of South            Director, University of West
 Carolina, 1705 College Street,           Florida, 11000 University
 Columbia, SC 29208, (803) 777-4555.      Parkway, Bldg. 38, Pensacola,
                                          FL 32514, (850) 473-7802
Ms. Diane R. Howerton, SBDC Regional     Mr. Sam Males, SBDC State
 Director, University of California,      Director, University of Nevada
 Merced, 550 East Shaw, Suite 100,        Reno, College of Business
 Fresno, CA 93710, (559) 241-6590.        Admin., Room 441, Reno, NV
                                          89557-0100, (775) 784-1717.
Mr. Marquise Jackson, Acting SBDC        ...............................
 Regional Director, Southwestern
 Community College, 880 National City
 Blvd., National City, CA 91950, (619)
 216-6718.
Mr. Casey Jeszenka, SBDC Network         Mr. Timothy Mittan, Acting SBDC
 Director, University of Guam, P.O. Box   Regional Director, Long Beach
 5014--U.O.G. Station, Mangilao, GU       Community College, 4901 E
 96923, (671) 735-2590.                   Carson Street, MC 05, Long
                                          Beach, CA 90808, (562) 938-
                                          5020.
Mr. Dan Ripke, SBDC Regional Director,   Ms. Kristin Johnson, SBDC
 California State University, Chico,      Regional Director, Humboldt
 Building 35, CSU Chico, Chico, CA        State University, Office of
 95929, (530) 898-4598.                   Economic & Community Dev., 1
                                          Harpst Street, House 71, Room
                                          110, Arcata, CA 95521, (707)
                                          826-3920.
Ms. Katrina Smith, Acting SBDC Regional  Ms. Janice Washington, SBDC
 Director, Orange County/Inland Empire    State Director, Maricopa
 Network, 800 North State College         County Comm. College, 2411
 Blvd., SGMH 5313, Fullerton, CA 92831,   West 14th Street, Suite 132,
 (657) 278-3195.                          Tempe, AZ 85281-6942, (480)
                                          731-8722.
Ms. Janet Rodrick, SBDC State Director,  Mr. Darrell Brown, SBDC
 University of Arkansas, 2801 South       Executive Director, Howard
 University Avenue, Little Rock, AR       University, 2600 6th Street
 72204, (501) 683-7700.                   NW., Washington, DC 20059,
                                          (202) 806-1550.
Mr. Allan Adams, SBDC State Director,    Mr. David Martin, SBDC State
 University of Georgia, Chicopee          Director, University of North
 Complex, 1180 East Broad Street,         Dakota, Bank of North Dakota
 Athens, GA 30602, (706) 542-6762.        Building, 1200 Memorial
                                          Highway, Bismarck, ND 58504,
                                          (701) 715-2475.
Mr. Rich Grogan, SBDC State Director,    Dr. Gerald Sonnenfeld, Interim
 University of New Hampshire, 10          SBDC State Director,
 Garrison Ave., Durham, NH 03824, (603)   University of Rhode Island, 75
 862-1446.                                Lower College Road, Kingston,
                                          RI 02881, (401) 874-4576.
Mr. Keith Brophy, State Director, 1034   ...............................
 L. William Seidman Center, 50 Front
 Avenue SW., Grand Rapids, MI 49504,
 (616) 331-7371.
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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 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

[[Page 37708]]

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 as 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. 2015-16149 Filed 6-30-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8025-01-P