Amazon commits $150 million to empower Black entrepreneurs

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MBDA is proud to collaborate with Amazon on its Black Business Accelerator.
Amazon is launching the Black Business Accelerator (BBA) to help build sustainable equity and growth for Black-owned businesses. The initiative—which explicitly targets barriers to access, opportunity, and advancement created by systemic racism across America—was created in partnership with Amazon’s Black Employee Network and a coalition of strategic partners.

See available benefits below. Read more

Pierce County Businesses – Apply for Grant for Marketing Success

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The Economic Development Board for Tacoma-Pierce County (EDB) is partnering with Impact Washington to help businesses recover and rebound from the effects of the pandemic. We are pleased to launch a new technical assistance program to fund and seat (5) five Pierce County businesses in “Marketing for Success” cohort program starting this Summer to access expert-level consulting assistance with Curt Anderson, Co-Founder of B2btail.com.
Applications will be accepted until Sunday, May 23, 2021, 11:00 PM PDT. See link below.

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Beta.Sam.Gov Transitioning to SAM.gov – PTAC Update

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Please join Washington PTAC in wishing the “Beta” in Beta.Sam.Gov a fond farewell!  That’s right, “Beta” is going away and the end of this month at which point SAM.gov will fully merge with Beta.Sam.Gov. Why does this matter?

  1. After May 24, the place where you register to do business with the government will be the same as the place you find opportunities and award notices.
  2. A “refreshed” design of Beta.Sam.Gov has already occurred. They’ve also enhanced the searching – now the Place of Performance is a defaulted field AND you can search multiple states!
  3. Anyone will still be able to do basic searches, but to access important functions like saved searches, registration status check, and interested vendors, users must be logged in and their role with the entity must be defined.

The sharks are out! Watch for scammers who want to sell you SAM registration. The official site is free. If you get stuck your local PTAC can assist.

Here are a few free webinars where you can learn more about SAM.gov:

> Washington PTAC will be hosting a workshop on the updated platform functions June 9, 11:00 a.m. PDT. Click here to register.

> GSA: In preparation for the upcoming integration of SAM.gov, you are invited to participate in the next Integrated Award Environment online Stakeholder Forum on Wednesday, May 5, 2021, from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT. Register here.

Port Advances Equitable Recovery with Women, Minority Owned Small Business Accelerator

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The Port of Seattle continued its investment in an equitable recovery today announcing a new accelerator for women- and minority-owned small businesses looking to innovate and grow. The Port’s first-ever PortGen Accelerator begins accepting applications for this intensive two-month business development program today. Businesses accepted into this inaugural cohort will access mentorship and programming from the Seattle entrepreneurship community and increase their contracting opportunities from the Port.

Applications for the PortGen Accelerator are open through May 15. Interested applicants may select this link to learn more about the accelerator and apply for the 2021 opportunity.

Apply here.

Read more about this new program here.

Small Business Basic Requirements

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Your small business must meet some basic requirements before you can compete for government contracts. See following criteria to learn about requirements:

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SAM.gov Entity Registration Training

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System for Award Management entity registration training WEBINAR. Providing step by step guidance on registering your entity, be it a business, individual, or organization, in the System for Award Management, also known as SAM.gov for Federal Assistance Awards Only.

Click here to watch the training provided by SBA.gov

Shuttered Venue Operators Grant

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Program details

The Shuttered Venue Operators (SVO) Grant program was established by the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act, signed into law on December 27, 2020. The program includes $15 billion in grants to shuttered venues, to be administered by the SBA’s Office of Disaster Assistance.

Eligible applicants may qualify for SVO Grants equal to 45% of their gross earned revenue, with the maximum amount available for a single grant award of $10 million. $2 billion is reserved for eligible applications with up to 50 full-time employees.

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SBA Extends Deferment Period for all COVID-19 EIDL and Other Disaster Loans until 2022

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WASHINGTON – The U.S. Small Business Administration announced extended deferment periods for all disaster loans, including the COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, until 2022.

  • All SBA disaster loans made in calendar year 2020, including COVID-19 EIDL, will have a first payment due date extended from 12-months to 24-months from the date of the note.
  • All SBA disaster loans made in calendar year 2021, including COVID-19 EIDL, will have a first payment due date extended from 12-months to 18-months from the date of the note.

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Fact Sheet: Changes to Paycheck Protection Program by Biden-Harris Administration Increase Equitable Access to Relief

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 Early indications show program reforms and efforts to engage with communities authentically are working in meaningful ways.

Two weeks ago, the Biden-Harris Administration made several reforms to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to further ensure small businesses get the help they need, especially Mom-and-Pop businesses in underserved communities.

Putting equity at the center of its policies and programs, the Biden-Harris Administration launched a comprehensive plan to engage small businesses and nonprofits, focusing on building trust in underserved communities.

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American Rescue Plan Act Elevates Small Business Support in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic

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Statement from SBA Senior Advisor Michael Roth

WASHINGTON – Upon President Biden signing the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 into law, the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Senior Advisor Michael Roth stated:

“The American Rescue Plan Act enables the SBA to continue to lift up the cornerstones of our communities; the mom-and-pop businesses and nonprofits that provide essential services for our everyday lives, hire from within neighborhoods, and more. Our nation’s more than 30 million small businesses are the economic engine of this country and, in alignment with the Biden-Harris Administration’s focus on equitable treatment, the SBA will work tirelessly to ensure eligible borrowers will get access to this critical economic relief.”

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Tacoma, Washington 98402