OWBO 2024 WBC Initial Phase for Tennessee, Connecticut, and Idaho | SB OEDWB 24 002

Opportunity Information: Apply for SB OEDWB 24 002

The OWBO 2024 WBC Initial Phase for Tennessee, Connecticut, and Idaho is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) aimed at expanding Women s Business Center (WBC) type services into areas that are not currently covered by existing WBC service territories. The overall goal is to strengthen local entrepreneurial support for women who want to start, grow, or stabilize small businesses, with a clear emphasis on reaching socially and economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs. In practice, this means the funding is meant to help fill geographic gaps in the WBC network by supporting organizations that can deliver training, counseling, and other hands-on business development assistance in underserved communities within Tennessee, Connecticut, and Idaho.

This funding opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number SB OEDWB 24 002; CFDA 59.043) will result in up to three awards total, with one award designated for each of the three states listed. Each selected organization would operate during an initial phase intended to establish or expand capacity to deliver WBC style programming in its state, specifically focusing on locations outside existing WBC coverage areas. The SBA is positioning this as targeted expansion rather than general statewide funding, so applicants need to be prepared to show exactly which communities they will serve and why those communities are currently outside the footprint of existing WBCs.

The award ceiling is 150,000 dollars, and the SBA expects to make three awards. The grant instrument type is a grant under the Business and Commerce funding activity category, which signals that the work supported is practical economic development focused on entrepreneurship rather than research. The opportunity was created on 2023-11-27, with an original closing date of 2024-01-31, meaning proposals needed to be completed and submitted by the end of January 2024 under the published timeline.

Eligibility is centered on organizations capable of delivering entrepreneurial development services. The narrative description specifies that eligible applicants must be private, non-profit organizations with 501(c) tax-exempt status recognized by the IRS and must provide services in Tennessee, Connecticut, or Idaho (depending on which state they are applying to serve). The source data also lists additional eligible applicant categories, including public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and nonprofits (including those without 501(c)(3) status). However, because the opportunity description explicitly emphasizes private nonprofit organizations with 501(c) status, applicants typically would want to align tightly with that requirement and be ready to document their tax-exempt status and nonprofit governance, along with their local service delivery capacity in the target state.

At a program level, the intent is to fund organizations that can deliver direct, practical support to women entrepreneurs. While the summary text does not spell out a detailed menu of required services, Women s Business Center programming generally includes activities like business training workshops, one-on-one counseling or coaching, help with business planning and financial projections, support navigating licensing and compliance, and connections to capital resources and procurement opportunities. The emphasis on socially and economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs indicates that proposed outreach, program design, and service delivery should be tailored to communities facing barriers such as limited access to capital, limited networks, rural isolation, language barriers, or historically uneven access to traditional business support systems. Competitive proposals in this type of program typically show strong local partnerships, clear plans for reaching underserved populations, and a realistic approach to delivering measurable, on-the-ground assistance.

In short, this SBA grant is a state-targeted effort to expand women-focused entrepreneurial support into currently uncovered areas of Tennessee, Connecticut, and Idaho. Up to three nonprofit-led projects (one per state) could receive up to 150,000 dollars each to provide entrepreneurial development services that prioritize women and especially those who are socially and economically disadvantaged, with the overarching aim of strengthening small business formation and growth in underserved geographies.

• The Small Business Administration in the business and commerce sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "OWBO 2024 WBC Initial Phase for Tennessee, Connecticut, and Idaho" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 59.043.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-11-27.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-01-31. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $150,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

Apply for SB OEDWB 24 002

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: