[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 178 (Tuesday, September 15, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55411-55412]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-23098]


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SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION


Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements Under OMB Review

AGENCY: Small Business Administration.

ACTION: 30-Day Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Small Business Administration (SBA) is publishing this 
notice to comply with requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) 
(44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), which requires agencies to submit proposed 
reporting and recordkeeping requirements to OMB for review and 
approval, and to publish a notice in the Federal Register notifying the 
public that the agency has made such a submission. This notice also 
allows an additional 30 days for public comments.

DATES: Submit comments on or before October 15, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Comments should refer to the information collection by name 
and/or OMB Control Number and should be sent to: Agency Clearance 
Officer, Curtis Rich, Small Business Administration, 409 3rd Street 
SW., 5th Floor, Washington, DC 20416; and SBA Desk Officer, Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 
New Executive Office Building, Washington, DC 20503.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Curtis Rich, Agency Clearance Officer, 
(202) 205-7030 [email protected]
    Copies: A copy of the Form OMB 83-1, supporting statement, and 
other documents submitted to OMB for review may be obtained from the 
Agency Clearance Officer.

[[Page 55412]]


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On October 1, 2014, the Small Business 
Administration (SBA)'s Office of Entrepreneurial Development (OED) 
began the ScaleUp America initiative to expand the delivery of proven 
best practices in entrepreneurship education to reach more growth-
oriented small business owners. Through this initiative, organizations 
in eight communities across the U.S. have been selected to deliver 
targeted and intensive assistance to established, growth-oriented small 
businesses and entrepreneurs. ScaleUp program goals include the growth 
of participating businesses, the strengthening of local entrepreneurial 
ecosystems (e.g. the network of supportive resources available to the 
entrepreneur), and the creation of jobs and economic growth in targeted 
communities.
    SBA is conducting an evaluation of the ScaleUp America initiative 
to assess the education services provided to the participants, the 
effect of the assistance on achieving the business goals of the 
participants, participant satisfaction with the assistance, and lessons 
learned and recommendations provided by the participants. Through the 
quarterly and annual reports provided by ScaleUp administrators, SBA 
has the ability to collect some data on the participants and program 
activities. However, in order to develop a more systematic analysis on 
the full range of topics mentioned above, including the participants' 
feedback, SBA needs to collect survey and interview data from 
participants who attended the program, as well as from individual 
entrepreneurs who are recruited as members of a community-specific 
comparison group.
    Specifically, SBA proposes the use of four instruments for data 
collection and analysis. These instruments are: (1) Participant Intake 
Survey, (2) Comparison Group Member Intake Survey and (3) Participant 
Follow-up Survey. SBA plans to administer each of these survey 
instruments to more than nine individuals. In addition, SBA plans to 
interview two participants or community members in each of the eight 
ScaleUp communities regarding program impact and successes or 
challenges.
    Each of the proposed surveys will be administered electronically 
and will contain both open- and close-ended questions. The types of 
information that will be collected in the instruments can be found in 
the ``Summary of Information Collection'' section below. Quantitative 
analysis (the primary method of data analysis for the survey data) and 
qualitative analysis (the primary method of data analysis for the 
interview data) will be used on the data collected. Quantitative 
analysis will consist of univariate and multivariate statistical 
analyses, while qualitative analysis will consist of establishing clear 
rules for interpretation and finding themes in the qualitative data. 
The information collected and analyzed from these instruments will 
contribute to performance metrics and program goals, as well as 
recommendations on improving program practices.
    Solicitation of Public Comments: Comments may be submitted on (a) 
whether the collection of information is necessary for the agency to 
properly perform its functions; (b) whether the burden estimates are 
accurate; (c) whether there are ways to minimize the burden, including 
through the use of automated techniques or other forms of information 
technology; and (d) whether there are ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information.
    Summary of Information Collections:
    Title: Scaleup America Initiative.
    Description of Respondents: Growth oriented Small Business Owners.
    Form Number: N/A.
    Estimated Annual Responses: 1,792.
    Estimated Annual Hour Burden: 1,232.

Curtis B. Rich,
Management Analyst.
[FR Doc. 2015-23098 Filed 9-14-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 8025-01-P