Program for Investment in Microentrepreneurs Act

Posted by Small Business Administration on May 29, 2017

Opportunity Title: Program for Investment in Microentrepreneurs Act
Opportunity Category: Discretionary
CFDA Numbers: 59.050
Instrument Type: Grant
Activity Category: Business and Commerce
Posting Date: May 16, 2017
Close Date: June 16, 2017
Agency Contact: Office of Economic Opportunity
E-Mail Address: prime@sba.gov

Eligible Applicants: (See Eligibility Explanation) Eligibility Explanation: An applicant must clearly demonstrate that it is one of the following:

• A microenterprise development organization or program (or group or Collaborative thereof) such as a non-profit Community Development Financial Institution or similar entity, that has a demonstrated record of delivering microenterprise services to disadvantaged entrepreneurs or
• An Intermediary (as defined in Section 8.1) which has experience in delivering technical assistance to disadvantaged entrepreneurs; or
• A microenterprise development organization or program (as defined in Section 8.1)that is accountable to a local community, working in conjunction with a State or local government or Indian Tribe; or
• An Indian tribe acting on its own, if it can certify that no private organization or program referred to in paragraph in paragraphs (1) exists within its jurisdiction.

Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: Yes, 50%.

Expected Number of Awards: SBA anticipates issuing approximately 35 awards under this Announcement. The period of performance for this grant will begin during FY 2017.

Estimated Total Program Funding: Up to $5 Million
Award Ceiling: $250,000
Award Floor: $50,000

Funding Opportunity: The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has issued Program Announcement No. PRIME-2017-01 to provide training and capacity building grant programs to microenterprise development organizations (MDOs). The Program for Investment in Microentrepreneurs Act of 1999 (the PRIME Act) became law on November 12, 1999 with the passage of Pub. L. No. 106-102 (15 U.S.C. § 6901 note). The PRIME Act authorizes the SBA to provide funding to qualified organizations for the purposes of: (i) providing training and technical assistance to disadvantaged entrepreneurs; (ii) providing training and capacity building assistance to microenterprise development organizations (MDOs) and programs; (iii) aiding in Research and development of best practices for microenterprise and technical assistance programs for disadvantaged entrepreneurs; and (iv) for other activities as the SBA Administrator determines. In FY2016, PRIME has two tracks for which SBA will consider granting awards under this program announcement:

• Track 1 (Technical Assistance) – seeks applications for funding to provide training and technical assistance programs to disadvantaged entrepreneurs.Examples include training specifically designed to: (1) strengthen the capacity of cooperatives serving economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs and areas; and/or(2) to support entrepreneurship among ex-offenders in the criminal justice system,especially those on parole, probation or incarcerated persons soon to be released.
• Track 2 (Capacity Building) – seeks applications for funding to provide training and capacity building services to MDOs, microenterprise development programs,and groups of such organizations to assist them in developing microenterprise training and services. Examples include services geared towards building MDO capacity to provide business training and technical assistance to: (1) cooperatives serving economically disadvantaged areas; and/or (2) to support entrepreneurship among ex-offenders in the criminal justice system, especially those on parole,probation or incarcerated individuals soon to be released.

View Section 3.0 of the Program Announcement for full eligibility criteria. Please note that for-profit organizations and individual persons are ineligible for this grant.SBA will evaluate applications for funding in accordance with the purposes of the Act, including an application’s ability to demonstrate mission-oriented and culturally competent projects and/or services that reflect local community demographics. Section 5.0 of the Program Announcement more fully defines the specific evaluation criteria. Questions about this Program Announcement should be directed to the Office of Economic Opportunity at prime@sba.gov.

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/search-grants.html?keywords=sba%20prime