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SBA announces funding for regional innovation clusters

August 02, 2018

The U.S. Small Business Administration recently announced its intention to award up to seven contracts for entities to lead regional innovation cluster initiatives. While two of the awards are partially set-aside for qualified small business, the remaining five are being competed full and open, meaning any entity is eligible. Each contract will be for a base year and four option years, with a base-year price not-to-exceed $500,000. An overview webinar will be held by the Program Office on Aug. 8, 2018, beginning at 4:00- p.m. EDT, and a link to this webinar will be provided on the solicitation’s FedBizOpps page.  Proposals are due Friday, Aug. 24.

As part of the President’s Agriculture and Rural Prosperity Report and the Memorandum of Understanding SBA and USDA entered into on April 2018, an emphasis will be placed on contracts that support innovation clusters in rural areas. The SBA also will take into consideration whether proposing entities are part of and/or will provide services to communities with a HUBZone or Opportunity Zone designation.

sba, funding opportunity