U.S. Small Business Administration: Boots to Business

Boots to Business (B2B) is an entrepreneurial education and  training program offered by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) as part of the Department of Defense’s Transition Assistance Program (TAP). The curriculum continuum includes steps for evaluating business concepts, the foundational knowledge required to develop a business plan and information on SBA resources available to help access start-up capital and additional technical assistance. Active duty military members (and their partners/spouses) separating from service may elect to participate in the entrepreneurship training track of B2B.

B2B seeks to support entities to provide entrepreneurship training, curriculum updates, and program management support services for global delivery of the B2B two-day “Introduction to Entrepreneurship” classroom course (Intro) and the Foundations of Entrepreneurship online course (or comparable alternatives), which will require at a minimum: (1) providing a network of instructors to teach online courses globally; (2) providing a network of instructors to travel to and teach Intro at overseas military installations; (3) managing SBA-owned course curricula which requires continuous improvement and compatibility with the Department of Defense’s TAP governance’s curricula management process; and (4) B2B program evaluation plan and methodologies in support of the program’s operational objectives.

B2B program operational objectives are:

• B2B follow-on Instruction or comparable alternative(s): To increase the number of course participants and graduates, ultimately leading to an increased number of veteran entrepreneurs.
• B2B curricula continuous improvement and innovation: To increase the number of veteran entrepreneurs by designing, maintaining, and supporting execution of curricula best practices consistent with Small Business Administration guidance.
• Integration, operations, and partnership: To increase the number of veteran entrepreneurs by fostering and supporting a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem.
• B2B two-day Intro (overseas installations): To increase the number of course participants and graduates, ultimately leading to an increased number of veteran entrepreneurs.
• B2B program evaluation: To provide methodologies, theories of change, research questions, etc. to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of TAP B2B operations on client outcomes.

Amount: A total of $2,500,000 is available to make one to four cooperative agreements with awards ranging up to $2,500,000 (there is no minimum award amount set). The project period is for up to five years.

Eligibility: Nonprofit organizations, state, local, or tribal government agencies, institutions of higher learning, for-profit organizations, or collaboration between such entities. Applicants must demonstrate a history of providing quality entrepreneurship and/or business management training that results in new business starts, business expansions or diversifications, as well as jobs created and/or retained. Applicants must also demonstrate a clear understanding of the issues relating to transitioning service members or veterans.

Link: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=291244

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