Benedict College Women's Business Center receives SBA grant.

Benedict CollegeWomen's Business Center is one of 14 recipients of up to $200,000 from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

The Women's Business Centers Resiliency and Recovery Demonstration Grantswill be used to support projects that provide services and training to women-owned businesses affected by COVID-19. The grants are made under the SBA's Office of Women's Business Ownership.

"The growth and recovery of women-owned small businesses is essential to our nation's economy," Natalie Madeira Cofield, Assistant Adminstrator for the Office of Women's Business Ownership, said in a news release. "During the pandemic, our Women's Business Centers have played an integral role in meeting the needs of women entrepreneurs during an especially challenging time. As resource providers, they have been impacted by the changing businesslandscape and have had to pivot to meet community needs."

The grant program, with approximately $2.7 million in total funding,was open to existing SBA-founded Women's Business Centers that demonstrated innovative approaches to continue or establish support for women-owned businesses. Applicants were also required to provide counseling, technical and financial skill development, comprehensive businesses assessments and mentoring services to women interested in starting or growing a small business.

"With this funding, we will support WBCs that have established innovative programming to increase outreach to aspiring and active women entrepreneurs nationwide," Cofield said. "We are proud to support organizations who have deep connections to small, diverse, and rural communities across the country and who understand their unique needs."

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