Get Up to $250K to Grow Your Business Support Program

Opportunity Number: PRIME-2017-01Opportunity Title: Program for Investment in Microentrepreneurs ActOpportunity Category: Discretionary CFDA Numbers: 59.050Instrument Type: GrantActivity Category: Business and CommercePosting Date: May 16, 2017Close Date: June 16, 2017Agency Contact: Office of Economic Opportunity E-Mail Address: prime@sba.govEligible Applicants: (See Eligibility Explanation)Eligibility Explanation:An applicant must clearly demonstrate that it is one of the following:A microenterprise development organization or program (or group or Collaborative thereof) such as a non-profit Community Development Financial Institution or similar entity, that has a demonstrated record of delivering microenterprise services to disadvantaged entrepreneurs orAn Intermediary (as defined in Section 8.1) which has experience in delivering technical assistance to disadvantaged entrepreneurs; orA microenterprise development organization or program (as defined in Section 8.1)that is accountable to a local community, working in conjunction with a State or local government or Indian Tribe; orAn Indian tribe acting on its own, if it can certify that no private organization or program referred to in paragraph in paragraphs (1) exists within its jurisdiction. Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: Yes, 50%. Expected Number of Awards: SBA anticipates issuing approximately 35 awards under this Announcement. The period of performance for this grant will begin during FY 2017.

Estimated Total Program Funding: Up to $5 Million Award Ceiling: $250,000 Award Floor: $50,000 Funding Opportunity Text Description: The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has issued Program Announcement No. PRIME-2017-01 to provide training and capacity building grant programs to microenterprise development organizations (MDOs). The Program for Investment in Microentrepreneurs Act of 1999 (the PRIME Act) became law on November 12, 1999 with the passage of Pub.

L. No. 106-102 (15 U.S.C. § 6901 note).The PRIME Act authorizes the SBA to provide funding to qualified organizations for thepurposes of: (i) providing training and technical assistance to disadvantagedentrepreneurs; (ii) providing training and capacity building assistance to microenterprisedevelopment organizations (MDOs) and programs; (iii) aiding in Research anddevelopment of best practices for microenterprise and technical assistance programs fordisadvantaged entrepreneurs; and (iv) for other activities as the SBA Administratordetermines.In FY2016, PRIME has two tracks for which SBA will consider granting awards underthis program announcement: Track 1 (Technical Assistance) – seeks applications for funding to providetraining and technical assistance programs to disadvantaged entrepreneurs.Examples include training specifically designed to: (1) strengthen the capacity ofcooperatives serving economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs and areas; and/or(2) to support entrepreneurship among ex-offenders in the criminal justice system,especially those on parole, probation or incarcerated persons soon to be released. Track 2 (Capacity Building) – seeks applications for funding to provide trainingand capacity building services to MDOs, microenterprise development programs,and groups of such organizations to assist them in developing microenterprisetraining and services.

Examples include services geared towards building MDOcapacity to provide business training and technical assistance to: (1) cooperativesserving economically disadvantaged areas; and/or (2) to support entrepreneurshipamong ex-offenders in the criminal justice system, especially those on parole,probation or incarcerated individuals soon to be released.View Section 3.0 of the Program Announcement for full eligibility criteria. Please notethat for-profit organizations and individual persons are ineligible for this grant.SBA will evaluate applications for funding in accordance with the purposes of the Act,including an application’s ability to demonstrate mission-oriented and culturallycompetent projects and/or services that reflect local community demographics. Section5.0 of the Program Announcement more fully defines the specific evaluation criteria.Questions about this Program Announcement should be directed to the Office ofEconomic Opportunity at prime@sba.gov.