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SBA Launches Community Navigator Pilot Program

SBA Launches Community Navigator Pilot Program Community Navigator Pilot Program1

Image via SBA

The United States Small Business Administration (SBA) recently announced the launch of the Community Navigator Pilot Program, a $100 million competitive grant program aimed at strengthening outreach to businesses in underserved communities.

The program is part of the American Rescue Plan and will reach the nation’s smallest businesses, according to the SBA. It will have a priority focus on businesses owned by socially and economically disadvantaged people, as well as those owned by women and veterans.

“These businesses – the smallest of the small in rural and urban America, and those owned by women, people of color, or veterans – have suffered the greatest economic loss from this pandemic,” SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman commented. “We’ll be using a hub and spoke model in local regions across the nation to bridge the gap between local entrepreneurs and SBA’s resources and programs. If we’re going to build back better, we need to ensure that all entrepreneurs have the support they need to recover.”

Community Navigators Pilot Program2

SBA Administrator Isabel Guzman Announces Launch of Community Navigators Pilot Program

Congress met in February to provide a blueprint on assistance to small businesses with the American Rescue Plan after meeting with constituents to discuss the impact of the pandemic on businesses, including those left out of earlier relief efforts.

Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona said he spoke to small businesses "in every corner" of his state, finding that "far too many," especially tribal and minority-owned businesses, and those in rural communities, have been unable to get the support they need.

Representative Carolyn Bourdeaux of Georgia echoed these sentiments, noting that she has seen the "difficulties diverse communities face in accessing critically-needed relief resources, from securing PPP funds to rental relief."

The Community Navigator program should provide a new avenue for relief to these communities and businesses.

On May 27, the SBA and Public Private Strategies Institute (PPSI) held an educational webinar about the Community Navigator Pilot Program. There were over 1,600 participants from around the country. Panelists included: Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman; Renée Johnson, Senior Advisor, Public Private Strategies; Mark Madrid, Associate Administrator, (SBA) Office of Entrepreneurial Development; Natalie Madeira Cofield, Assistant Administrator, (SBA) Office of Women’s Business Ownership; and Rick Wade from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Applications will be accepted through July 12, 2021, and award decisions are expected by August 2021. Award grants will range from $1 million to $5 million for a two-year performance period. Performance periods are projected to begin this September.

A Community Navigator Notice of Funding Opportunity will be open to applications from nonprofit organizations, state, local, and tribal governments, SBA resource partners, and other organizations.  Those selected will be able to engage in targeted outreach for small businesses in underserved communities and help them get resources and support.

The SBA also announced its 6th Annual Growth Accelerator Fund Competition (GAFC), with the addition of a new component designed to increase investment in underrepresented communities. The GAFC and Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Catalyst programs will recognize "the nation’s most innovative organizations with inclusive approaches towards supporting entrepreneurs" in R&D. The GAFC and SBIR two tracks will total over $5 million in cash prizes.


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