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3/15/2024

Treasury Department Announces New Funding to Support Small Businesses in Six States and Three U.S. Territories as …

Treasury Department Announces New Funding to Support Small
Businesses in Six States and Three U.S. Territories as Part of the
Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America Agenda
March 15, 2024

WASHINGTON – As part of the Biden-Harris Administrationʼs Investing in America Agenda, the
U.S. Department of the Treasury today announced six new awards to states and two new
awards to territories under the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) Technical
Assistance Grant Program, totaling more than $27 million. These awards 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. In addition, the
Department is announcing an award of more than $57 million for American Samoa under the
SSBCI Capital Program.
“The Biden-Harris Administration continues to invest in the historic small business boom by
providing small businesses and entrepreneurs the resources they need to succeed,” said
Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo. “Today's announcements will help unlock the potential of
entrepreneurs in underserved communities across the nation who have not had the support to
pursue their business ideas and ambitions.”
President Bidenʼs American Rescue Plan reauthorized and expanded SSBCI, which was
originally established in 2010 and was 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 communities. 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 expanded SSBCI includes funding for technical assistance to help very small businesses –
defined as businesses with fewer than 10 employees, including independent contractors and
sole proprietors – and underserved small businesses apply for the SSBCI Capital Program and
other government small business programs. The Treasury Departmentʼs SSBCI Technical
https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy2184

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3/15/2024

Treasury Department Announces New Funding to Support Small Businesses in Six States and Three U.S. Territories as …

Assistance Grant Program and the newly announced SSBCI Investing in America Small
Business Opportunity Program are both designed to complement the SSBCI Capital Program.
While access to capital is a key component for small business stability, resiliency, and growth –
particularly for historically underserved small businesses – additional technical support will
help small businesses secure and maximize that capital. The Technical Assistance Program will
provide vital aid to help small businesses become “capital ready” by preparing them to take on
loans or investment and steward capital for small business success.
From todayʼs awards, here are examples of how Bidenomics is helping expand access to
capital and provide legal, accounting, and financial advisory services to small businesses:
West Virginia, approved for $1.5 million in Technical Assistance (TA) grant funding, will
work with Partner Community Capital, Inc. (PCAP) to administer its TA program to
applicants and participants of the West Virginia Capital Access Program. PCAP, a leading
Community Development Financial Institution serving small businesses in West Virginia,
will provide financial advisory services, one-on-one consulting, and educational programs.
West Virginia anticipates that it will serve 140 small businesses through the four-year
program, including up to 10 start-up small businesses a year.
Puerto Rico, approved for $3.8 million in SSBCI TA grant funding, will utilize the Economic
Development Bank of Puerto Rico (EDB) to provide legal, accounting, and financial
advisory services to companies preparing to apply for support from state and/or federal
small business programs and connect companies directly with its SSBCI-supported capital
programs. The EDB will conduct data analysis to understand small business TA needs and
continually evaluate desired program outcomes and will provide group training sessions,
one-on-one counseling, and online education to prepare small businesses to apply for
funding.
Kansas, approved for $1.3 million in SSBCI TA grant funding, will work with the Kansas
Department of Commerce and NetWork Kansas to identify underserved and very small
businesses and match those businesses with technical assistance resources pre- and
post-funding. NetWork Kansas estimates that it will provide technical assistance to 300
small businesses over the 5-year grant period and that 150 of these businesses will
subsequently attract capital.
American Samoa, approved for up to $57 million in SSBCI Capital funding, will operate
four programs, including a loan guarantee program which will provide a partial guarantee

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Treasury Department Announces New Funding to Support Small Businesses in Six States and Three U.S. Territories as …

to support surety bonds and lines of credit, and an equity/venture capital program which
will make direct investments in local small businesses and projects.
A full list of award descriptions for states receiving these funds is available here

.

To date, the Treasury Department has announced the approval of more than $135 million in
technical assistance grants to 40 states and territories. In addition, the Department has
announced the approval of state, territory, and Tribal government plans corresponding to
more than $8.4 billion in funding under the SSBCI Capital Program to support small business
and entrepreneurship and expand access to capital.
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https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy2184

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