WOMEN’S BUSINESS CENTER (WBC) - INITIAL PHASE GRANT | OWBO 2020 05

Opportunity Information: Apply for OWBO 2020 05

The WOMEN'S BUSINESS CENTER (WBC) - Initial Phase Grant (Funding Opportunity Number OWBO 2020 05) is a discretionary funding opportunity from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) designed to expand entrepreneurial development support for women in Mississippi. Through this announcement, SBA intends to fund up to two organizations to deliver training, counseling, and other business development services aimed at helping women start, grow, and strengthen small businesses, with a clear emphasis on reaching socially and economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs across the state. The award is structured as a cooperative agreement, meaning recipients should expect an active partnership with SBA that typically involves ongoing coordination, reporting, and alignment with federal program goals.

Eligibility is limited to private, non-profit organizations that hold current 501(c) tax-exempt status from the IRS and that will provide services within the State of Mississippi. For-profit entities are not eligible, and the announcement also excludes public non-profit organizations. The notice describes public non-profits as organizations like churches, schools, and hospitals that commonly provide charitable services directly to the public, rely heavily on public donations, and are governed by many outside, unaffiliated directors. The practical takeaway is that applicants must be organized as private non-profits under the specified federal tax status and be positioned to run a service program that benefits women entrepreneurs statewide.

The announcement also clarifies how SBA will treat applicants with prior WBC experience. If an organization is currently operating, or has operated, an SBA-funded Women's Business Center within the past five years and is selected, SBA will categorize the award as a Renewal Phase Project rather than an Initial Phase award. Similarly, if an organization previously operated an SBA-funded WBC that has since closed, and it applies to re-establish the center, SBA will still treat the application as a renewal effort if the applicant is otherwise eligible. In other words, the "initial phase" label mainly applies to organizations that have not recently run an SBA-funded WBC, while experienced or previously funded operators may be routed into renewal-type expectations if selected.

A key program priority is serving women who face structural barriers to business ownership and growth, and the SBA explicitly encourages organizations that already work with disadvantaged communities to apply. The notice highlights the role of Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) in reaching underserved markets and specifically calls out examples such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) associated with HACU, and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs). MSIs and their auxiliary entities are encouraged to apply, alongside other eligible organizations with a demonstrated ability to deliver strong entrepreneurial development services to disadvantaged entrepreneurs.

Religious organizations are also encouraged to apply, and the announcement emphasizes that they generally do not have to change their religious identity to participate in the program. It notes that these organizations are not typically required to stop engaging in explicitly religious activities outside the federally funded program, nor to give up federal statutory protections tied to religious hiring decisions. The intent is to signal that faith-based organizations meeting the eligibility rules can compete for funding and operate the program without being forced to alter their broader mission, as long as they comply with applicable grant requirements.

From a funding standpoint, the opportunity is listed under CFDA 59.043, categorized under Business and Commerce, with an award ceiling of $150,000 and an expectation of two awards. The opportunity was posted July 20, 2020, with an original closing date of August 10, 2020. Overall, the grant is meant to establish or support Women's Business Center services in Mississippi by funding qualified private non-profits that can deliver practical, accessible entrepreneurial assistance to women, especially those who are socially and economically disadvantaged.

• The Small Business Administration in the business and commerce sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "WOMEN’S BUSINESS CENTER (WBC) - INITIAL PHASE GRANT" 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 Jul 20, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 10, 2020. (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 2 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

Apply for OWBO 2020 05

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