[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 135 (Friday, July 15, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42535-42536]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-15176]


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SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION


Data Collection Available for Public Comments

ACTION: 60-Day notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Small Business Administration (SBA) plans to seek approval 
from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to conduct the data 
collection activities described below. The Paperwork Reduction Act 
requires federal agencies to publish a notice in the Federal Register 
concerning each proposed collection of information to OMB, and to allow 
60 days for the public to comment in response to the notice. This 
notice complies with such requirements and announces the SBA's proposal 
to conduct a survey of cluster administrators, small businesses, and 
large organizations who participated in the SBA's Regional Innovation 
Cluster (RIC) Initiative.

DATES: Submit comments on or before September 13, 2022.

ADDRESSES: Send all comments to Philip T. Gibson; Office of 
Entrepreneurship Education; [email protected], 409 3rd Street SW, 
Washington, DC 20416.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Philip T. Gibson; Office of 
Entrepreneurship Education; [email protected], 409 3rd Street SW, 
Washington, DC 20416, or Curtis B. Rich, Management Analyst, 202-205-
7030, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a request for a revision of a 
currently approved collection (OMB number: 3245-0392). Through the RIC 
initiative, SBA is investing in regional clusters--geographic 
concentrations of interconnected companies, specialized suppliers, 
academic institutions, service providers, and associated organizations 
with a specific industry focus--throughout the United States that span 
a variety of industries. The three primary goals of the initiative are 
to (1) increase opportunities for small business participation within 
clusters, (2) promote innovation in the industries on which the 
clusters are focused, and (3) enhance economic development and growth 
in cluster regions. To achieve these goals, the clusters provide a host 
of services to the target population of small and emerging businesses 
within their regional and industry focuses. Services include direct 
business advising and support and sponsoring events, such as networking 
opportunities with investors, large businesses and other stakeholders 
in the regions. This information collection is necessary for SBA to 
understand the progress of the RIC initiative toward achieving its 
goals.
    The evaluation consists of two key components: an implementation 
evaluation and an outcome evaluation. The implementation evaluation 
focuses on how the Initiative is implemented across the 12 clusters and 
on the services that each cluster provides to its small businesses. The 
outcome evaluation focuses on short- and intermediate-term outcomes 
linked directly to the cluster services, as well as on long-term 
business outcomes that can be reasonably expected to result from the 
short- and intermediate-term outcomes. The short-term outcomes include 
the satisfaction and the perceived effectiveness of the program for 
business management and growth. The intermediate outcomes include 
development of new products, commercialization of new technologies, 
marketing and export services, improved access to capital, and industry 
integration. Long-term outcomes include increased revenue and 
employment. Over the previous years, evaluation results have helped to 
track the program performance outcomes and provide suggestions for 
program improvements to better facilitate innovation and small business 
growth. Furthermore, the evaluation survey data helped the SBA to 
better focus cluster activities on local contexts, particularly for 
rural and agricultural small businesses. This data will not be used to 
evaluate the effectiveness of an individual cluster.
    The data collection effort involves three types of RIC initiative 
stakeholders: small businesses, large organizations, and cluster 
administrators. Small businesses participating in the cluster will be 
sent an online survey to provide data about their cluster participation 
experiences, satisfaction with the program and its components, the 
performance of their firms with respect to a variety of outcomes, and 
the role of cluster participation in the achievement of these outcomes. 
Similarly, large organizations--a broad group that includes 
universities, public sector agencies, nonprofit organizations, and 
business associations--will be asked to complete an online survey to 
provide data about their experiences with the RIC Initiative. The 
questions include reasons for the RIC participation, collaboration with 
and support for small businesses, and the role of cluster participation 
on key organizational outcomes associated with the RIC participation. 
The RIC administrators will be asked to complete a survey that provides 
the framework of the surveys that the small business and large 
organizations are sent. The administrator survey requests information 
about the services they provided to these two groups of stakeholders, 
and their operations in general. Cluster administrators will also be 
interviewed once a year to obtain information about how their 
operations have evolved, the adjustments they made, best practices, 
issues encountered, and the lessons learned.

Solicitation of Public Comments

    SBA is requesting comments 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 Collection

    PRA Number: OMB 3245-0392.
    (1) Title: Regional Clusters.
    Description of Respondents: Small and emerging businesses.
    Total Estimated Annual Responses: 248.

[[Page 42536]]

    Total Estimated Annual Hour Burden: 196.

Curtis B. Rich,
Agency Forms Manager.
[FR Doc. 2022-15176 Filed 7-14-22; 8:45 am]
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