***********************************************
U.S. Small Business Administration
-- News Release --
***********************************************
Release Date: November 10, 2009
Contact: Dennis Byrne (202) 205-6567
Release Number: 09-77
Internet Address:
http://www.sba.gov/news
SBA, Six Universities to Offer Business Training
For Iraq/Afghanistan Disabled Vets
SBA Adds New Training Tools to Increase Opportunities for Vets
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Small Business Administration today announced a
three-year agreement to expand and deliver entrepreneurship training for
service-disabled veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The agreement with SBA's Office of Veterans Business Development will
support the expansion of the year-long Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for
Veterans with Disabilities (EBV). The expansion of this innovative management
training and mentorship program will maximize small business programs for
veterans, service-disabled veterans, reserve-component members, and their
dependents or survivors.
Additionally, this week SBA launched a new online contracting tutorial on
www.sba.gov, as part of its ongoing efforts to expand services to veterans
and service-disabled veterans. Veterans and military spouses who own small
businesses can utilize this free online course to learn how to identify and take
advantage of federal contracting opportunities.
"At this important time, with veterans returning from foreign soil in increasing
numbers, we at the SBA are working to ensure they have the resources to
successfully start and run their small businesses. As a result of the leadership
skills they develop during their service, veterans over-index in entrepreneurial
activities," SBA Administrator Karen G. Mills said today. "Our commitment is to
honor that service by helping our nation's veterans – especially those who
return home with disabilities – fulfill the American Dream. Initiatives like the
Entrepreneurship Bootcamp and our online training courses give veteran
business owners the tools they need to grow, be competitive, and create
jobs."
Working with Syracuse University's Whitman School of Management, the
University of Connecticut School of Business, Mays Business School at Texas
A&M, UCLA Anderson School of Management, Florida State University's College
of Business, and the Krannert School of Management at Purdue University,
SBA's grant and other assistance will significantly expand the reach and impact
of the EBV initiative and help maximize economic opportunities for U.S.
veterans with disabilities.
The expansion of SBA's entrepreneurship training initiatives builds on SBA's
support for veterans through its Patriot Express loan program. In less than
two-and-a -half year's time, this pilot loan initiative has supported nearly $400
million in loans to more than 4,700 veterans and spouses looking to establish or
expand their small businesses. As a result of the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act, which raised loan guarantees to 90 percent and temporarily
eliminated fees, the number of Patriot Express loans increased by more than 20
percent this year over 2008. Local SBA district offices have a listing of Patriot
Express lenders in their areas. Details on the initiative can be found at
www.sba.gov/patriotexpress.
To learn more about additional opportunities for veterans available through the
SBA, please visit www.sba.gov.
U.S. Small Business Administration
-- News Release --
***********************************************
Release Date: November 10, 2009
Contact: Dennis Byrne (202) 205-6567
Release Number: 09-77
Internet Address:
http://www.sba.gov/news
SBA, Six Universities to Offer Business Training
For Iraq/Afghanistan Disabled Vets
SBA Adds New Training Tools to Increase Opportunities for Vets
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Small Business Administration today announced a
three-year agreement to expand and deliver entrepreneurship training for
service-disabled veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The agreement with SBA's Office of Veterans Business Development will
support the expansion of the year-long Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for
Veterans with Disabilities (EBV). The expansion of this innovative management
training and mentorship program will maximize small business programs for
veterans, service-disabled veterans, reserve-component members, and their
dependents or survivors.
Additionally, this week SBA launched a new online contracting tutorial on
www.sba.gov, as part of its ongoing efforts to expand services to veterans
and service-disabled veterans. Veterans and military spouses who own small
businesses can utilize this free online course to learn how to identify and take
advantage of federal contracting opportunities.
"At this important time, with veterans returning from foreign soil in increasing
numbers, we at the SBA are working to ensure they have the resources to
successfully start and run their small businesses. As a result of the leadership
skills they develop during their service, veterans over-index in entrepreneurial
activities," SBA Administrator Karen G. Mills said today. "Our commitment is to
honor that service by helping our nation's veterans – especially those who
return home with disabilities – fulfill the American Dream. Initiatives like the
Entrepreneurship Bootcamp and our online training courses give veteran
business owners the tools they need to grow, be competitive, and create
jobs."
Working with Syracuse University's Whitman School of Management, the
University of Connecticut School of Business, Mays Business School at Texas
A&M, UCLA Anderson School of Management, Florida State University's College
of Business, and the Krannert School of Management at Purdue University,
SBA's grant and other assistance will significantly expand the reach and impact
of the EBV initiative and help maximize economic opportunities for U.S.
veterans with disabilities.
The expansion of SBA's entrepreneurship training initiatives builds on SBA's
support for veterans through its Patriot Express loan program. In less than
two-and-a -half year's time, this pilot loan initiative has supported nearly $400
million in loans to more than 4,700 veterans and spouses looking to establish or
expand their small businesses. As a result of the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act, which raised loan guarantees to 90 percent and temporarily
eliminated fees, the number of Patriot Express loans increased by more than 20
percent this year over 2008. Local SBA district offices have a listing of Patriot
Express lenders in their areas. Details on the initiative can be found at
www.sba.gov/patriotexpress.
To learn more about additional opportunities for veterans available through the
SBA, please visit www.sba.gov.
