Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) today named the US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce Education Foundation (USPAACC) as a recipient of an official Tier 1 national level competitive grant for its nationwide Community Navigator Pilot Program. In making its official announcement this afternoon, the SBA said that USPAACC and seven other organizations will receive the prestigious recognition and accompanying financial award of up to $5 million for two years.
We are incredibly honored by SBA Administrator Guzman and her team for selecting USPAACC for this historic Program. It is her foresight, vision, commitment, and most important, follow-through that has made this initiative a reality. The SBA hasn't just talked the talk, they've walked the talk. The Asian American community has taken notice and we are grateful.
'Small and underdeveloped businesses are the linchpin of our national economy, and USPAACC is honored to be part of this Program that helps to reduce barriers to entry, retool, upskill, and grow as the community recovers and resurgence gains momentum. This nationwide Program aligns perfectly with USPAACC's mission of growing small Asian American businesses in all aspects of the U.S. economy.
'Whether it's through our certification of Asian American and other small businesses which are 51% owned, controlled, and managed on a day-to-day basis by one or more Asian Americans, or our signature thought-leadership programs such as One-on-One Business Matchmaking Meetings, Supplier Development & Procurement Leadership Caucus, Federal Contracts Town Halls, Fast 100 Asian American Businesses, Business Executive Coaching, Chief Procurement Officers and CTO/CIO Forums, What's Your Pitch Innovation Competitions, Corporate Employee Business Resource Group Leadership Caucus, and LiveTALK online video broadcasts, delivering targeted small business outreach and assistance have long been USPAACC's top priorities.
“Today’s announcement by the SBA will strengthen and support our ongoing work with the SBA,” USPAACC National President and CEO Susan Au Allen concluded.
The Community Navigator Pilot Program is designed to provide high quality technical assistance with pandemic relief programs and recovery services to small businesses and entrepreneurs. Recovery services can include financial assistance, access to capital, contracting and procurement assistance, marketing operations, and business development, export, and industry-specific training, among other areas of technical assistance to aid businesses in stabilization and expansion. Programming that focuses on supporting communities where English is a second language and that offers technical assistance in languages other than English is in the equation.
The Program offers funding to nonprofits, state and local governments, universities, and tribal entities to partner with the SBA at the center of a hub and spoke network. The hubs support spoke organizations – trusted, culturally knowledgeable local groups and individual community leaders – who will connect to specific sectors of the entrepreneurial community to provide assistance during economic recovery.
USPAACC will work cooperatively with its “Spoke” partners in California, Texas, Georgia, New York/New Jersey, and Illinois, respectively, to fulfill the mission and goals of the SBA’s Community Navigator Pilot Program.
Through SBA’s initiative, there are 51 grantees broken into the following tiers:
- Tier 1, National Level: 8 awards, maximum $5 million per award. Organizations support a minimum of five service areas (not within the same state), containing a population of greater than 500,000. ***USPAACC was named by the SBA as a Tier 1 awardee.
- Tier 2, State/Local level: 11 awards, maximum $2.5 million per award. Organizations support an individual state, region, municipality, or city with a total service population of greater than or equal to 500,000.
- Tier 3, Local Level: 32 awards, maximum $1 million per award. Organizations support a region, municipality, city, tribal or rural community with a total service population of less than 500,000.
More details on the SBA’s Community Navigator Pilot Program are available at: https://www.sba.gov/partners/counselors/community-navigator-pilot-program
Press Release by SBA at:
https://www.sba.gov/article/2021/oct/28/sba-administrator-guzman-biden-harris-administration-announce-community-navigator-pilot-program
Press Conference on October 28, 2021:
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