Breaking Down Barriers: The SBA Announces $30 Million in Grants for Women-Owned Small Businesses

In a bid to support women entrepreneurs, the Small Business Administration (SBA) has announced $30 million in grant funding for Women’s Business Centers. This includes plans to open a new center in the U.S. Virgin Islands, with eligible organizations able to receive up to $150,000 to establish and operate a Women’s Business Center.

Currently, there are 152 in-person Women’s Business Centers across all 50 states and Puerto Rico, but this latest announcement will extend the program to include virtual counseling and training services for women-owned small businesses. The grant funding will be awarded in four areas: supporting women business owners in government contracting, offering entrepreneurial development services to women-owned small businesses focused on child care services, providing general entrepreneurial development services to women where centers currently don’t exist, and supporting the opening of a Women’s Business Center in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Christina Hale, Assistant Administrator for the SBA’s Office of Women’s Business Ownership, emphasized the importance of these new centers in providing opportunities for women entrepreneurs to receive training and assistance to grow their businesses. Those with questions about the grants can contact the SBA’s Office of Women’s Business Ownership at owbo@sba.gov, which was established by executive order in 1979.