WASHINGTON – Today, Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the voice in President Biden’s Cabinet for America’s more than 33 million small businesses, announced a slate of major improvements to the implementation of the agency’s popular 7(j) Management and Technical Assistance program. These changes – launched under a new name, Empower to Grow (E2G) – include significant upgrades to the program’s core services and are designed to deliver on the SBA’s commitment under the Biden-Harris Administration to advance equity in federal procurement.
“Small business growth creates jobs while strengthening communities and our economy – which is why the Biden-Harris Administration continues to prioritize equity and a level playing field so all small business owners, including those from disadvantaged communities, can successfully compete for over $700 billion in small business-eligible federal contracts,” said Administrator Guzman. “We’ve launched Empower to Grow to revitalize our 7(j) program with improved coaching, training, and technology tools to get more disadvantaged businesses contract-ready and build a diversified supplier base – creating competition, innovation, and strong performance in federal spending. We have made significant progress with a rise in contracting dollars to small disadvantaged businesses, but there is more work to do to reverse the longstanding disparities, and the SBA’s Empower to Grow will be a critical resource supporting that work.”
The launch of the new and improved E2G program comes as the SBA releases new data detailing the level of federal contracts going to small disadvantaged businesses broken down by race and ethnicity. The data, from 2021 and 2022, shows small businesses in nearly every demographic category are receiving record-breaking federal contracting dollars under the Biden-Harris Administration, with more work to be done to eliminate persistent disparities in federal contracting equity.
Upgrades to the Empower to Grow program will include:
- Enhancement of customized 1:1 training tailored to develop the critical skillset needed to win government contracts.
- Launch of the enhanced Federal Market Acceleration Program (FedMAP), a three-month training program in government contracting led by government business development experts.
- Launch of a federal contractor master class providing new tools and techniques to accelerate small businesses competing for contracts including Sources Sought and Request for Information requirements.
- Integration of networking and matchmaking events with government agencies and prime contractors.
- Bidding technology for 8(a) firms to receive, review, and respond to over $2 trillion of State and Local bid opportunities.
- Multilingual counselors fluent in Spanish and other languages to ensure outreach and accessibility in all states and territories.
