The purpose of this program is to provide training and technical assistance to disadvantaged entrepreneurs, provide training and capacity-building assistance to microenterprise development organizations (MDOs), and aid in research and development of best practices for microenterprise and technical assistance programs for disadvantaged entrepreneurs. The program will also support other activities that promote MDOs. For FY 2017, the funding agency will concentrate resources on the use of training and technical assistance to strengthen cooperatives serving economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs and areas; and training and technical assistance to support entrepreneurship among ex-offenders in the criminal justice system, especially those on parole or probation, or incarcerated persons soon to be released. 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.