OSBDC Portable Assistance Program | OSBDC 2020 03

Opportunity Information: Apply for OSBDC 2020 03

The OSBDC Portable Assistance Program (Funding Opportunity No. OSBDC-2020-03) is a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) grant opportunity administered through the SBA Office of Small Business Development Centers (OSBDC). It opened on September 1, 2020 and closed on October 15, 2020. The award mechanism is a cooperative agreement, meaning recipients should expect an active partnership and oversight relationship with SBA as they carry out the work, rather than a simple pass-through grant.

This opportunity is aimed specifically at existing Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Recipient Organizations that are already funded under the SBDC program authorized by Section 21 of the Small Business Act (15 USC 648). The core purpose is to have these established SBDC networks design and deliver "portable assistance programs" that can be deployed into communities experiencing economic disruption. The target communities are those that have become economically challenged due to a major employer or government facility downsizing or closing, which typically leads to job losses, weakened local supply chains, and heightened instability for small businesses and entrepreneurs.

Under the program concept, applicants propose practical, mobile, and scalable service delivery approaches to help small businesses start up and stay viable during and after a local economic shock. While the notice does not list a required service menu in the text provided, the framing aligns with the SBDC mission: business management counseling, technical assistance, and other advisory services that strengthen small business performance. The program emphasizes support for growth, expansion, innovation, productivity gains, and management improvement, consistent with how SBDCs operate as a non-credit business assistance network.

The broader context highlighted in the announcement is the SBDC program's role as a partnership-based national system that connects federal, state, and local government resources with universities and the private sector. SBA retains responsibility for overall management and oversight, but the day-to-day delivery of assistance is carried out through recipient organizations and their networks in coordination with OSBDC and SBA District Offices. This partnership structure is central to the portable assistance idea, since it leverages existing SBDC infrastructure and relationships to quickly respond where economic dislocation occurs.

Key program details from the source information include a funding activity focus in Business and Commerce (with an "Opportunity Zone Benefits" tag noted in the activity category list), a CFDA number of 59.037, an award ceiling of $100,000, and an expectation of five awards. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with the main clarification being that applicants must be existing SBDC Recipient Organizations currently funded under the SBDC program. Questions about the opportunity were directed to SBA OSBDC at hq.osbdc@sba.gov.

• The Small Business Administration in the business and commerce, opportunity zone benefits sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "OSBDC Portable Assistance Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 59.037.
• This funding opportunity was created on Sep 01, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Oct 15, 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 $100,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for OSBDC 2020 03

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