U.S. Small Business Administration Expands Women's Business Centre Programme with New Funding Opportunities

In a significant move to support women entrepreneurs, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has announced two funding opportunity announcements (FOAs) aimed at expanding the Women's Business Centre (WBC) programme.

These FOAs will provide funding for regionally-determined WBCs in Oregon and the District of Columbia (DC) as well as support the establishment of 15 new WBCs in partnership with Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs).

The Women's Business Centre programme has played a vital role in empowering women entrepreneurs since the passage of H.R. 5050, a landmark legislation, in 1988. With the aim of ensuring fair access to business technical assistance for the 13 million women-owned small businesses across the country, these funding opportunities are the result of the relentless lobbying efforts by the Association of Women's Business Centres (AWBC).

President Biden's commitment to adding 15 WBCs to the national network earlier this year demonstrated an understanding of the necessity to support women entrepreneurs. Corinne Goble, CEO of the AWBC, expressed her support for the funding announcements, emphasizing the importance of maintaining pace with the increasing number of women business owners.

With these new financing opportunities, the nationwide network of WBC grants is expected to expand to 160 yearly awards, making it the largest network in the programme's history. The AWBC and its supporters in Congress have been instrumental in securing funding for this crucial programme, while the Biden-Harris Administration and SBA Administrator Guzman have worked swiftly to allocate these funds and ensure the programme's success and efficiency.

The WBCs, which are part of a collaborative effort between the SBA and non-profit organizations promoting entrepreneurship, provide women entrepreneurs with free or affordable counseling and training to facilitate the launch, growth, and expansion of their small businesses.

Prospective recipients of the funding are encouraged to participate in seminars and training sessions, such as the SBA training offered at the AWBC 2023 Annual Leadership Conference. Taking place in Washington, D.C. from July 24 to 27, 2023, the conference will bring together leaders from Women's Business Centres, resource partners, educators, affiliates, and other supporters of women's entrepreneurship. The event serves as a celebration of the 35th anniversary of the Women's Business Centre programme and the 25th anniversary of the AWBC as an organization supporting the network of WBCs across the country.