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Small Business Association (SBA)
An Online Source of Some Links to Fed Agencies with Grants
The SBA and You
The most frequently mentioned source of government assistance for small business is the Small Business Administration (SBA), a U.S. federal agency. As they explain in their own words: "The SBA doesn't give grants and it doesn't loan money. The Agency is not authorized to award grants to assist individuals to start, operate, expand, rebuild, or purchase a business."
Take a tip from one of our Regulars, Mark: Don't go to your local SBA office asking for a grant -- they can't/won't help you (see above). Mark reported, "I contacted my local SBA and I was informed that they do not have grant money available, and that they did not know of anyone to contact about one. As a matter of fact, I was told by my local SBA that if I needed more money for my business my best bet was to get another job!"
The SBA does provide some money to organizations that assist small businesses with training, legal processes and more, and it underwrites loans from designated lenders. The SBA also acts as a conduit for federal programs designed to benefit small businesses. This page presents a menu of those offerings, providing links to such things as small business set-asides, selling your stuff to the government and more.
The SBA Website Does Provide Links to Other Agencies That May Offer Grants
The Small Business Administration does not make grants to start or expand a small biz. Their grant programs are intended for organizations that expand and enhance small biz technical assistance. However, their homepage usually has a visible grant link or two at:
http://www.sba.gov/
and they do provide a list of other federal agencies offering grants at
http://www.sba.gov/expanding/small_business_grants.php
Keep in mind, however, that most federal "grants" are tied to a specific performance from the grant recipient to provide a service or product which a government contract calls for. (Sorry, but these government "grants" are not free funding for your own unique business or idea.)
There is also a gateway to U.S. State and Local grant programs
http://www.statelocal.gov/cdc-comp.html
The SBA's Office of Government Contracting negotiates on your behalf to make sure your small business gets your share of the federal purchasing. This is the office that administers the well-known "set-aside" programs that designate certain contracts or portions of contracts for small biz.
Small business set-asides include programs for women and minority businesses, very small businesses and small biz demonstration programs. Contracts can range from as little as $1,000 to as much as $500,000. The government can be an excellent client for many kinds of business (including, yes, gift items), but it takes time to become registered as a vendor. Most who have done so, however, say it's worth it.
The current goal is to provide 23% of these contracts to small biz. This includes specific goals:
Pro-Net: The Gateway to Contracts• 5% to Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSB)
• 5% to small disadvantaged businesses
• The HUBZone goal (2 percent in FY-2001, 2.5 percent in FY-2002, and 3 percent in FY-2003) (HUBZones are areas of poor economic conditions and/or high unemployment. You can check to see if you are in a HubZone at
http://map.sba.gov/hubzone/)
Pro-Net is an electronic gateway of procurement information -- for and about small businesses. It is a search engine for firms and a "link" to procurement opportunities and important information. This is where you find opportunities to become a contractor to the government. To access Pro-Net go to
http://pro-net.sba.gov/index2.html
We highly recommend you take the time to check out the "How to Use Pro-Net" link on the left bar.
The first thing you need to do is register your biz. Once registered, you can search the database for information on what the government wants to buy. You can also find current contracts and sub-contracts open for bids. This site contains a wealth of assistance information that connects you with SBA folk who can help you complete your registration, offer or bid.
Don't Overlook Sub-Contracting
You may also find some opportunities to be a sub-contractor to a business that already has a government contract. The SBA maintains a directory of sub-contracting opportunities (Sub-Net). To search for sub-contracting opportunities go to
http://web.sba.gov/subnet/dsp_search_option.cfm
For More grants, see other federal grants and contracts, corporate grant help and Idea Cafe's Grants du Jour.
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