SBA PRIME Grant Program

Build your organization's capacity to assist Ohio's under-served entrepreneurs

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The SBA’s Program for Investment in Micro-Entrepreneurs (PRIME) provides grant funding to organizations that help low-income entrepreneurs gain access to the training and capital they need to establish and expand their small businesses. (Learn more.)

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To enable small business support organizations to leverage PRIME and create new, more sustainable initiatives, ECDI offers a premier cohort consulting package to a select number of agencies and organizations that want to improve their ability to assist small businesses in their community.

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This program gives participating MDOs a robust curriculum on small business capital access and provides critical pre-loan services and loan packaging for the organization’s small business clients. This includes three curriculum tracks:

• Track 1 – Introduction to Small Business Lending

• Track 2 – In-depth Access to Capital Training

• Track 3 – Small Business Incubation and Acceleration.

All participating organizations must participate in Track 1 curriculum before participating in Track 2 or 3. 

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As part of this program, your organization will receive:

• Training via webinars and one-on-one coaching

• Access to curriculum and online training programs

• Licenses for online Business plan creation tools

• Access to ECDI's Capital Program

• A grant of up to $3,000 to support capacity-building activities

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Eligibility

Microenterprise development organizations who serve entrepreneurs in rural counties and opportunity zones through the state of Ohio are eligible.

 

Requirements

Applicants must:

• Submit a completed application no later than Wednesday, March 22, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. (EST)

• Commit to full participation in the SBA Prime program and cohort:

  • Engage with peer organizations collaborate, share best practices and learn

  • Attend and participate in 6 to 8 cohort-specific webinar training opportunities

 

Program Timeframe

The cohort training program will begin in April, 2023 and will conclude in September, 2023. 

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Funding

Funding is provided by the Small Business Administration through a generous grant opportunity. Each participating agency in the cohort will receive up to $3,000 in grant funding to participate in the program and set up their agency for success after the program.

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How to Submit

Applications may be submitted online. Incomplete applications will not be considered. This is a competitive application process. No more than ten nonprofit organizations will be selected to participate in the 2023 PRIME program. The application deadline is 11:59 p.m. (EST), on Wednesday, February 22.

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Apply now take advantage of this opportunity to remove your clients' barriers and enable their success!