View original document

The full text on this page is automatically extracted from the file linked above and may contain errors and inconsistencies.

11/16/2023

Treasury Department Announces Approval of Up to $62 Million to Support Small Businesses in Washington, D.C. as P…

Treasury Department Announces Approval of Up to $62 Million
to Support Small Businesses in Washington, D.C. as Part of
President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda
November 16, 2023

Plans for more than $8.3 billion in State Small Business Credit Initiative funding have been
approved to support small business and entrepreneurship in communities across the nation
WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced the approval of
Washington, D.C.ʼs plan for up to $62 million in funding under the American Rescue Planʼs State
Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI), part of President Bidenʼs Investing in America agenda.
The Treasury Department has now announced the approval of state, territory, D.C., and Tribal
government plans corresponding to over $8.3 billion in SSBCI capital and technical assistance
funding to support small business and entrepreneurship and expand access to capital.
“Support to continue the small business boom and ensure access to capital is a key
component of President Bidenʼs Investing in America agenda,” said Deputy Secretary of the
Treasury Wally Adeyemo. “The State Small Business Credit Initiative is helping to unlock the
potential of entrepreneurs in underserved communities in the District of Columbia and across
the nation who may have otherwise never had the support needed to pursue their business
ideas and ambitions.”
“Small businesses are so important for the vibrancy of our city. Not only do our small
businesses represent the dreams and creativity of Washingtonians, they also create jobs for
DC residents and support thriving commercial corridors in neighborhoods across the city,” said
Mayor Muriel Bowser. “Whether it is through these investments in small business or other
investments in infrastructure or resiliency, President Bidenʼs Investing in America Agenda is
building stronger communities and giving more people a fair shot.”
President Bidenʼs American Rescue Plan reauthorized and expanded SSBCI, which was
established in 2010 and highly successful in increasing access to capital for small businesses
and entrepreneurs. The new SSBCI builds on this successful model by providing nearly $10
billion to states, the District of Columbia, territories, and Tribal governments to increase
access to capital and promote entrepreneurship, especially in traditionally underserved
https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy1914

1/3

11/16/2023

Treasury Department Announces Approval of Up to $62 Million to Support Small Businesses in Washington, D.C. as P…

communities as they emerge from the pandemic. This includes $2.5 billion in funding and
incentives to support underserved businesses and jurisdictions that successfully reach those
businesses. SSBCI funding is expected to catalyze up to $10 of private investment for every $1
of SSBCI capital funding, amplifying the e ects of this funding and providing small business
owners with the resources they need to sustainably grow and thrive.
The District of Columbia, approved for up to $62 million, will operate two programs: a
collateral support program (CSP) and a loan participation program (LPP). The CSP, allocated
over $29 million, will provide cash collateral to eligible lenders to enhance the collateral
coverage of small business borrowers and will target several community development
financial institutions (CDFIs) that focus on lending to underserved businesses and have the
necessary expertise to source a pipeline of target companies. The LPP, allocated $33 million,
will provide direct lending /companion loans or purchased participations, including a focus on
working capital, inventory, expansion, and renovation costs. These programs are administered
through the DC Business Capital Access Program (DC BizCAP) at the D.C. Department of
Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISB), one of the agencies charged with supporting small
business growth in the District. The O ice of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic
Development (DMPED) will use available funds to develop a DC Venture Capital (VC) Program.
The VC Program will aim to provide equity seed capital for early-stage DC based businesses,
with a focus on underserved founders of technology and “tech-enabled” companies.
“We are confident that the SSBCI funding will continue to be a driving force for small
businesses that need loans and investments and fulfill the Bowser Administrationʼs goals for
broad-based economic development,” said DISB Commissioner Karima Woods. “This
partnership with the Treasury Department has been a rewarding one, allowing District small
businesses to move to new facilities, hire and retain employees, and purchase the equipment
they need to start or expand.”
In January, the Census Bureau released data which show that Americans have applied to start
10.5 million new businesses over the last two years, making 2021 and 2022 the strongest two
years on record for new business applications. Last month, the Treasury Department released
a new report card detailing how the Departmentʼs implementation of federal investments in
entrepreneurs and small businesses are supporting the record growth in small business
creation seen since the start of this Administration by expanding access to capital and
customers, and by providing entrepreneurs the resources they need to succeed. Alongside
this report card, the Department released an interim report on the progress the Department
https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy1914

2/3

11/16/2023

Treasury Department Announces Approval of Up to $62 Million to Support Small Businesses in Washington, D.C. as P…

has made in implementing the SSBCI

, which illustrates how the funding has successfully

reached traditionally underserved entrepreneurs and small businesses in order to ensure the
small business boom grows the economy in communities that were disproportionately
harmed by the pandemic.
To date, the Treasury Department has announced awards for more than $8 billion in SSBCI
capital funding for states, territories, and the District of Columbia. In addition, the
Department has announced more than $57 million in technical assistance grants for 12 states,
which will be used to provide legal, accounting, and financial advisory services to eligible small
businesses applying for the SSBCI capital program and other government small business
programs. The Department has also transferred $125 million to the Minority Business
Development Agency (MBDA) Capital Readiness Program (CRP), a program funded by
Treasuryʼs SSBCI which enables small businesses to access critical technical assistance; and
recently announced a new $75 million competitive grant program, the SSBCI Investing in
America Small Business Opportunity Program, to support technical assistance for very small
and underserved businesses.
###

https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy1914

3/3