Funding Available to Help Train South Carolina’s Women Entrepreneurs
he U.S. Small Business Administration will hold roundtable training sessions in Columbia and Charleston, South Carolina on best practices regarding the Women’s Business Center grant application opportunity.
Columbia:
Tuesday, Feb. 4 at 10 a.m. EST
Benedict College Business Development Center
2601 Read St, Columbia, S.C. 29204
Register for Columbia Event
Charleston:
Wednesday, Feb. 5 at 10 a.m. EST
Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce – Catalyst Center
4500 Leeds Ave, 2nd Floor
North Charleston, S.C. 29405
Register for Charleston Event
The roundtables will explain how to apply for SBA Women’s Business Center grants and get the funding needed to reach more women business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs.
Organizations interested in attending should contact SBA South Carolina District Director Richard.White@sba.gov at (803) 253-3360, or South Carolina District Office Public Information Officer Savannah.Wilburn@sba.gov at (803) 253-312. Advance registration is requested.
The SBA’s WBC program is a national network of more than 100 locations that offer one-on-one counseling and training to women seeking to start businesses, grow their markets or expand through federal contracting opportunities or international trade.
Eligible applicants for the WBC grant must be private, nonprofit organizations with 501(c) tax-exempt status from the U.S. Treasury/Internal Revenue Service in South Carolina. This may include universities, foundations, chambers of commerce, or economic development institutions. The SBA recognizes the importance of Minority Serving Institutions (e.g. Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions from the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Institutions) and encourages their participation in the roundtable.
As part of the grant application process, interested applicants must register and receive a certificate from SAM.gov. The SAM.gov certification process for the SBA’s Women’s Business Centers can take up to 45 days. It is recommended that organizations begin the registration process immediately.
Questions about the WBC funding opportunity can be directed to the SBA’s Office of Women’s Business Ownership (OWBO) at owbo@sba.gov.