[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 132 (Monday, July 11, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44913-44914]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-16291]


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SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION


Action 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, 2017 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
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Mr. James Yerka, Acting SBDC State       Mr. Herbert Thweatt, SBDC
 Director, Utah State University, 9750    Director, American Samoa
 South 300 West, Sandy, UT 84070 (801)    Community College, P.O. Box
 957-5257.                                2609, Pago Pago, American
                                          Samoa 96799, (684) 699-4830.
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        Mr. Patrick Nye, Acting SBDC
 Regional Director, Southwestern          Regional Director, Long Beach
 Community College, 880 National City     Community College, 4901 E
 Blvd., National City, CA 91950, (619)    Carson Street, MC 05, Long
 216-6718.                                Beach, CA 90808, (562) 938-
                                          5020.
Mr. Casey Jeszenka, SBDC Network         Ms. Kristin Johnson, SBDC
 Director, University of Guam, P.O. Box   Regional Director, Humboldt
 5014--U.O.G. Station, Mangilao, GU       State University, Office of
 96923, (671) 735-2590.                   Economic & Community Dev., 1
                                          Harpst Street, House 71, Room
                                          110, Areata, CA 95521, (707)
                                          826-3920.
Mr. Dan Ripke, SBDC Regional Director,   Ms. Janice Washington, SBDC
 California State University Chico,       State Director, Maricopa
 Building 35, CSU Chico, Chico, CA        County Comm. College, 2411
 95929, (530) 898-4598.                   West 14th Street, Suite 132,
                                          Tempe, AZ 85281-6942, (480)
                                          731-8722.
Mr. Michael Daniel, SBDC Regional        Mr. Carl Brown, SBDC Executive
 Director, Orange County/Inland Empire    Director, Howard University,
 Network, 800 North State College         2600 6th Street NW.,
 Blvd., SGMH 53, Fullerton, CA 92831,     Washington, DC 20059, (202)
 (657) 278-5138.                          806-1550.
Ms. Laura Fine, Acting SBDC State        Mr. David Martin, SBDC State
 Director, University of Arkansas, 2801   Director, University of North
 South University Avenue, Little Rock,    Dakota, 140 Gamble Hall, 293
 AR 72204, (501) 683-7700.                Centennial Drive, Stop 7308,
                                          Grand Forks, ND 58202, (701)
                                          715-2475.
Mr. Allan Adams, SBDC, State Director    Mr. Edward Huttenhower, SBDC
 University of Georgia Chicopee           Executive Director, University
 Complex, 1180 East Broad Street          of Rhode Island, 75 Lower
 Athens, GA 30602, (706) 542-6762.        College Road, Kingston, RI
                                          02881, (401) 874-5936.
Mr. Rich Grogan, SBDC State Director,    Mr. Keith Brophy, State
 University of New Hampshire, 10          Director, 1034 L. William
 Garrison Ave. Durham, NH 03824, (603)    Seidman Center, 50 Front
 862-1446.                                Avenue SW., Grand Rapids, MI
                                          49504, (616) 331-7371.
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Vicky Mundt, Deputy Associate 
Administrator, 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 SB A, 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 44914]]

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:
     49 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.).
     7 Community college-sponsored Lead SBDCs.
    Dallas-TX, 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

    1. 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.

    Dated: June 24, 2016.
Adriana Menchaca-Gendron,
Associate Administrator for Small Business Development Centers.
[FR Doc. 2016-16291 Filed 7-8-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 8025-01-P