FEDERAL RESOURCES FOR WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES
NWBC is dedicated to empowering women entrepreneurs by advancing policies that expand access to essential funding and resources. Highlighted below are free and low-cost federal resources available to help women entrepreneurs looking to grow and scale their ventures.
SBA SUPPORT AND INFORMATION FOR ENTREPRENEURS
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LenderMatch: Connects businesses to SBA-backed lenders and investors that may offer financing based on preliminary information about the businesses’ assets and needs.
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District Offices: Offer entrepreneurs and small business owners training, business development services, and personalized introductions to additional supports.
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Disaster Field Operations Centers: Guide nonprofits and owners of businesses and homes that suffer natural disaster-caused losses to low-interest loans and other recovery resources; conduct disaster damage assessments.
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Learning Center: Contains online courses on a broad range of topics relevant to starting and growing a business.
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Boots to Business: A course designed for military servicemembers, veterans, and spouses that teaches fundamentals of entrepreneurship and business ownership.
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T.H.R.I.V.E. Emerging Leaders Reimagined: An executive coaching program for entrepreneurs who have been in business for at least three years, providing mentoring and customized instruction.
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Business Guide: Provides an outline of step-by-step tasks to help entrepreneurs start and expand businesses, and guidance and resources on individual topics.
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Contracting Guide: Provides an explanation of the government contracting process and advice for preparing to bid and finding and winning opportunities.
SBA RESOURCE PARTNERS
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Women’s Business Centers: A national network of centers that provide free and low-cost business counseling and training, with a focus on serving women who want to start and expand firms.
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Small Business Development Centers: A national network of centers that provide free and low-cost business counseling and training to entrepreneurs and owners of small companies.
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Veterans Business Outreach Centers: A national network of centers that provide entrepreneurial development training, counseling, and referrals to transitioning military servicemembers, veterans, and military spouses.
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U.S. Export Assistance Centers: Centers located in metropolitan areas that provide small businesses with advice and education on exporting.
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Regional Innovation Clusters: Geographically concentrated networks of organizations that offer incubator and accelerator services, market research, and assistance with contracts and exporting focused on specific technologies and industries.
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Small Business Investment Companies: Federally-licensed investors committed to providing debt and equity funding to small businesses.
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SCORE Business Mentoring: A network of volunteer experienced business ownership mentors guiding emerging entrepreneurs.
FEDERAL CONTRACTING
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APEX Accelerators: Centers providing technical assistance and advice to businesses interested in selling to government customers.
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Procurement Center Representative Directory: SBA staff with regional and agency specializations who assist small businesses with conducting market research, winning contracts, and resolving payment issues.
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Commercial Market Representatives: SBA staff with regional specializations who advocate and help to identify opportunities for small businesses to participate in federal projects as subcontractors.
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Empower to Grow: A coaching program for disadvantaged small business owners that provides training and one-onone consulting to support growth, regulatory compliance, and participation in government contracting.
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SBA Mentor-Protégé Program: Certifies pairs of experienced, established companies and small businesses to compete as joint ventures for contracts set aside only for small businesses.
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SBA Business Certification Portal: A site for determining eligibility and application requirements for 8(a), WOSB, HUBZone, and Veteran-owned business certifications and for uploading application components for submission.
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Department of Transportation (DOT) Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program: A site for determining eligibility and application requirements for DBE certification for participation in DOT-funded contracts.
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SAM.gov: A central online hub for federal government procurement, through which any business seeking a contract must first apply for a unique identifying number.
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General Services Administration Acquisition Gateway: A multi-function platform for government acquisition programs and tools, this site includes the Forecast Tool through which agencies inform the public of future projected procurement
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SBA SubNet: A searchable directory of advertised opportunities to subcontract on federal projects.
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Agency Offices of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU): Offices dedicated to encouraging and facilitating small and disadvantaged businesses’ competition for agencies’ contracts, located within individual federal agencies with procurement programs—for example, OSDBUs are located at:
FEDERAL GRANTS FOR BUSINESSES
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SBIR/STTR investments : A competitive program providing non-dilutive funding to U.S. small businesses conducting research and development work with commercialization potential.
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State Trade Expansion Program Grants : Grants provided through state-based entities to support small businesses with beginning or expanding export operations.
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Grants.gov : A central directory of federal grant opportunities, searchable by types of entities eligible.
RELATED AGENCY RESOURCES AND RESOURCE PARTNERS FOR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
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Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Enterprising Women of Color Business Centers: Centers that provide coaching and assistance with securing contracts and capital, creating jobs, and competing for business, with a focus on serving women of color entrepreneurs.
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MBDA Business Centers: Centers assisting with expanding business capacity through contracting and capital access.
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Department of Agriculture Resources Guide for Rural Entrepreneurs: Provides information about and connections to loan, grant, and technical assistance programs that serve small business owners in rural communities.
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Department of Agriculture Local Service Centers and Urban Service Centers: Offices that provide personalized technical assistance and referrals to farm and rural operators, including securing financing, managing and mitigating natural disaster effects, and conserving natural resources.
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U.S. Patent and Trade Office Pro Bono and Law School Clinic Certification Programs: Provide free legal assistance with securing intellectual property protection to qualified small business owners.
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U.S. Patent and Trade Office First-Time Filer Expedited Examination Pilot Program: Offers reduced fees and a faster application process for inventors new to the patenting process.
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U.S. Patent and Trade Office Empowering Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative: Provides training, mentors, networking opportunities, and other resources to help women business owners protect and benefit from intellectual property.
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Internal Revenue Service Small Business Virtual Tax Workshop: Offers interactive lessons to help small business owners learn tax rights and responsibilities.