U.S. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION OFFICE OF WOMEN’S BUSINESS OWNERSHIP HAS ANNOUNCED FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT (FOA) FOR 2024 WBC INITIAL PHASE FOR TENNESSEE, CONNECTICUT, AND IDAHO
U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) | Office of Women’s Business Ownership (OWBO)
Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) No. OWBO-2024-01
Base Budget Period: March 29, 2024 – March 30, 2025
Opening Date: November 27, 2023 ; Closing Date: January 26, 2024
Description:
The purpose of this FOA is to provide funding for up to three (3) private, non-profit organizations that
will provide entrepreneurial development services to women, with an emphasis on socially and
economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs in locations that are outside of the geographical areas of
existing WBCs for the State of Idaho, the State of Connecticut, and the State of Tennessee. There will be
one award for each location. Eligible applicants must be private, non-profit organizations with 501(c) tax
exempt status from the U.S. Treasury’s Internal Revenue Service and must provide services to the State of
Idaho, the State of Connecticut, and the State of Tennessee.
An organization that is operating, or has operated an SBA funded WBC, within the past five (5) years, if
selected, will be awarded as an Initial Phase Project. Likewise, an organization that previously operated
an SBA-funded WBC (but that is no longer operating), if eligible to apply and selected, will also be
awarded as an Initial Phase Project since this application will be treated as an effort to re-establish the
WBC.
Furthermore, recognizing the important role that Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) (e.g., Historically
Black Colleges and Universities [HBCUs], Hispanic-Serving Institutions [HSIs] from the Hispanic
Association of Colleges and Universities [HACU], and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander
Institutions [AANAPISIs]) play in meeting the needs of socially and economically disadvantaged
markets, this program announcement seeks to encourage MSIs to provide entrepreneurial development
services to socially and economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs.
MSIs, HBCUs, HSIs, HACU, AANAPISIs and their auxiliary entities are encouraged to apply.
Additionally, religious organizations are encouraged to apply. Such organizations are not required to alter
their religious character to participate in a government program, nor to cease engaging in explicitly
religious activities outside the program, nor effectively to relinquish their Federal statutory protections for
religious hiring decisions. Likewise, other organizations meeting the WBC program eligibility criteria, as
well as other organizations serving socially and economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs, are also
encouraged to apply.
Proposals responding to this FOA must be posted to www.Grants.gov by no later than 11:59:59 p.m.
Eastern Daylight Time, on January 26, 2024.
Responses