[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 87 (Thursday, May 5, 2022)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 26667-26668]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-09764]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 87 / Thursday, May 5, 2022 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 26667]]


                Proclamation 10384 of April 29, 2022

                
National Small Business Week, 2022

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                For generations, small businesses across America have 
                shaped and embodied our Nation's entrepreneurial spirit 
                and driven our economy forward. Today, more than 32 
                million small businesses employ almost half of 
                America's workforce and represent the heart and soul of 
                countless communities. During National Small Business 
                Week, we celebrate America's small businesses and their 
                enormous contributions to American life and prosperity.

                When I first took office, the pandemic had devastated 
                America's small business community. Hundreds of 
                thousands of small businesses had closed, main streets 
                were shuttered, and millions more Americans were out of 
                work through no fault of their own. Even with the 
                creativity and resilience of small business owners and 
                workers, COVID-19 took an incalculable toll on so many 
                lives and livelihoods. That is why I made it a top 
                priority to provide substantial, immediate relief to 
                our Nation's small businesses, giving them the tools, 
                resources, and support they needed to reopen, rehire, 
                and rebuild.

                My American Rescue Plan and other emergency relief 
                programs distributed hundreds of billions of dollars to 
                millions of small businesses to keep the lights on and 
                keep workers on the payroll. My Administration also 
                removed historic barriers to level the playing field 
                for businesses across rural and urban America, 
                especially businesses owned by veterans, women, and 
                people of color. These efforts have helped millions of 
                small businesses not only weather the pandemic, but 
                thrive.

                My Administration is committed to unlocking new 
                opportunities to help small businesses grow and 
                compete. Through the American Rescue Plan, our State 
                Small Business Credit Initiative provides States, 
                territories, and Tribal governments with resources to 
                establish loan and equity capital programs to support 
                entrepreneurs. In addition, the Bipartisan 
                Infrastructure Law has created unprecedented 
                contracting opportunities for small businesses in every 
                community. Already, more than 4,000 projects have been 
                announced to upgrade America's infrastructure, creating 
                significant opportunities for small businesses to grow. 
                The law is delivering affordable high-speed internet 
                access to every community--urban, rural, suburban, and 
                Tribal--so every small business can use digital 
                technologies and gain new customers across the country 
                and around the world. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law 
                makes the Minority Business Development Agency within 
                the United States Department of Commerce a permanent 
                entity--seeded with a record amount of funding--so 
                minority-owned businesses can receive tailored 
                assistance for their unique challenges and access the 
                capital they need to grow.

                I firmly believe that equal opportunity is the bedrock 
                of our democracy. That is why my Administration is 
                committed to using Federal procurement dollars to 
                support firms owned by underrepresented people and to 
                help small businesses build generational wealth. Last 
                year, I announced a set of reforms to increase 
                contracting opportunities for underserved businesses by 
                up to 50 percent by 2025. We are also capitalizing on 
                our historic investments in supply chain resilience and 
                ``Made in America'' manufacturing so small businesses 
                can innovate, compete, and build the products

[[Page 26668]]

                of tomorrow. To position small businesses for success 
                in the long term, the United States Small Business 
                Administration's Community Navigator Pilot program is 
                forging stronger partnerships with local organizations 
                to get resources to underserved small businesses.

                Thanks to these initiatives and the resilience of the 
                American people, America's entrepreneurial spirit has 
                never been stronger. New business applications grew by 
                more than 30 percent over the course of the pandemic, 
                with almost 5.4 million new applications in 2021 alone. 
                More Americans than ever before--including more women 
                and people of color--are following their dreams and 
                starting new enterprises. My Administration will 
                continue to support them, build upon this remarkable 
                resurgence, and strengthen the foundation of our 
                economy with America's small businesses at the 
                forefront.

                This National Small Business Week, let us renew our 
                commitment to supporting our Nation's small businesses. 
                From local ``mom and pop'' shops to innovative start-
                ups, small businesses are pillars of our communities 
                and the engine of our economy. By rebuilding our 
                economy from the bottom up and middle out, we can 
                maintain our global competitiveness and build a 
                stronger Nation where everyone can succeed.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of 
                the United States of America, by virtue of the 
                authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws 
                of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 1 through 
                May 7, 2022, as National Small Business Week. I call 
                upon all Americans to recognize the contributions of 
                small businesses to the American economy, continue 
                supporting them, and honor the occasion with programs 
                and activities that highlight these important 
                businesses.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                twenty-ninth day of April, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand twenty-two, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                sixth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2022-09764
Filed 5-4-22; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F2-P