WOMEN’S BUSINESS CENTER (WBC) - INITIAL PHASE GRANT

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The purpose of this FOA is to provide funding for up to two private, non-profit organizations that will provide entrepreneurial development services to women, with an emphasis on socially and economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs, within the State of Mississippi. Eligible applicants must be private, non-profit organizations with 501(c) tax-exempt status from the U.S. Treasury/Internal Revenue Service and must provide services to the State of Mississippi. Note: Public non-profit organizations and for-profit businesses are not eligible for these awards. Public non-profits are organizations, such as churches, schools, and hospitals that generally provide charitable services directly to the public, are funded in large part by public donations and have many outside, unaffiliated directors. An organization that is operating or has operated an SBA-funded WBC within the past five years, if selected, will be awarded as a Renewal Phase Project. Likewise, an organization that previously operated an SBA-funded WBC that is no longer operating, if eligible to apply and selected, will also be awarded as a Renewal Phase Project since this application will be treated as an effort to re-establish the WBC. Recognizing the important role that Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) (e.g., Historically Black Colleges and Universities [HBCUs], Hispanic-Serving Institutions [HSIs] from the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities [HACU], and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Institutions [AANAPISIs]) play in meeting the needs of socially and economically disadvantaged markets, this program announcement seeks to encourage MSIs to provide entrepreneurial development services to socially and economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs. MSIs and their auxiliary entities are encouraged to apply. Likewise, other organizations serving socially and economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs, that meet the WBC program eligibility requirements, are also encouraged to apply. In addition, Religious organizations are encouraged to apply. Generally, such organizations are not required to alter their religious character to participate in a government program, nor to cease engaging in explicitly religious activities outside the program, nor effectively to relinquish their Federal statutory protections for religious hiring decisions. Likewise, other organizations meeting the WBC program eligibility criteria and serving socially and economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs, are also encouraged to apply.

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