Section 131.300 - Women's Business Centers (WBCs)Women's Business Centers (WBCs) are established under the statutory authority of the SBA through cooperative agreements with nonprofit recipient organizations. WBC program announcements and requests for work plans and budgets establish the operating and performance parameters, initiatives, and strategies for each project period.
(a)Program announcements.(1) The SBA will issue a program announcement each fiscal year to fund those recipient organizations already operating successful WBC projects. The program announcement will detail the goals, objectives, and other terms and conditions for renewable projects entering a three-year phase of the program. The issuance of the program announcement is contingent upon SBA's approved budget and funding availability.(2) At any time during the current fiscal year, and based on the availability of funds, the SBA may, at its discretion, also issue a program announcement for the upcoming fiscal year, detailing the goals, objectives, and other terms and conditions for new WBC projects. New WBC projects may be awarded a maximum of one base year and 4 additional option years of funding.(3) The SBA reserves the right to cancel a program announcement, in whole or in part, at the agency's discretion.(b)Option year work plans and budgets.(1) Each year, the SBA will issue instructions for the submission of the option year work plan and budget for those WBCs currently in (and wishing to continue in) the SBA's WBC program that will have successfully completed year one, two, three or four of an initial project, or year one or two of a renewal project. In order to be considered for renewal, submissions for option year work plans and budget must be received by OWBO by the deadline specified in the annual instructions for the submission of each work plan.(2) The SBA reserves the right to revise the submission requirements, in whole or in part, at the Agency's discretion.(3) Awarding option year funding is at the sole discretion of the SBA and is subject to continuing program authority, the availability of funds, and satisfactory performance by the recipient organization.(c)Cooperative agreement.(1) The terms and conditions must include, but are not limited to, Office of Management and Budget guidelines for grant administration and cost principles, regulations and laws governing the WBC project and federally sponsored programs, and current year guidelines from the program announcement.(2) The SBA will issue a notice of award annually to each eligible WBC participant, based on the acceptance of the organization's annual proposal or work plan.(d)Negotiating the cooperative agreement. The WBC's participation in negotiations should include, but is not limited to, the following: (1) Proposing services and an appropriate delivery structure to meet the needs of the local small business community, specifically targeting women, including a representative number of women who are socially and economically disadvantaged; and(2) Proposing adequate technical and managerial resources for the WBC to achieve its performance goals and program objectives, as set forth in the cooperative agreement.(e)Women's Business Center (WBC) funds. Budgeted WBC funds (including match) must be used solely for the WBC project.