Opportunity Information: Apply for MBDA OBD 2011 2002775
Apply for MBDA OBD 2011 2002775
- The Department of Commerce in the business and commerce sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "MBDA Business Center (MBC)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.805 MBDA Business Center.
- This funding opportunity was created on Sep 27, 2010 and posted on Sep 27, 2010.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 10, 2010. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $8,700,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 30 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- For profit entities (including but not limited to sole proprietorships, partnerships, limited liability companies and corporations), non profit organizations, state and local government entities, American Indian Tribes and educational institutions are eligible to apply to operate MBCs.
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Opportunity Summary:
The MBDA Business Center (MBC) opportunity is a competitive federal funding announcement from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), focused on selecting organizations to operate MBDA Business Centers in specific locations listed in the Full Funding Opportunity (FFO). Rather than funding individual businesses directly, this program funds center operators that will deliver hands-on business consulting and capacity-building services to eligible minority business enterprises (MBEs). The central purpose is to help minority-owned firms secure more financing and contract opportunities, win related awards, and ultimately create and retain jobs. In other words, the government is not paying to launch or expand a single company; it is paying for organizations to run regional centers that provide sustained, structured assistance to many minority-owned firms.
Awards under this opportunity are planned as cooperative agreements, which typically means the federal agency expects to have substantial involvement in the project compared with a standard grant. MBDA indicates it intends to make thirty (30) individual awards. Each selected MBC project is expected to run for a total award period of five (5) years, with funding structured around an initial year and continued support in later years, subject to appropriations and satisfactory performance. The announcement makes clear that, at the time of posting, program funding had not yet been appropriated, meaning actual awards and continuation funding depend on Congressional funding decisions.
In terms of money, MBDA anticipated about $8.7 million in FY 2011 funds to support the initial financial assistance awards for the MBC projects identified in the FFO, with an expectation of roughly $8.7 million being available in each subsequent fiscal year from FY 2012 through FY 2015 to support continuation funding. The exact amounts tied to each center location, along with the specific sites where centers would be competed, are provided in Appendix A of the full announcement. Because it is a competitive program with multiple locations, applicants would need to align their proposal to one of the specified sites and the associated funding level described in the appendix.
A cost sharing or matching requirement applies, so applicants should expect that MBDA will require non-federal resources to support the project budget, consistent with the terms laid out in the FFO. This is a key planning point because it affects the applicant's ability to assemble partner contributions, cash or in-kind support, and the overall financial structure needed to operate a center over multiple years.
Eligibility is broad and includes for-profit entities (such as sole proprietorships, partnerships, LLCs, and corporations), nonprofit organizations, state and local government entities, American Indian Tribes, and educational institutions. The listing on the opportunity notes "Others (see text...)" for eligible applicants, so the definitive eligibility rules and any restrictions or special conditions are in the FFO itself. Operationally, this mix of eligible applicants reflects that MBDA expects a wide range of capable operators, including universities, economic development organizations, nonprofits, and private sector entities, to compete to run centers and deliver services.
Key administrative details from the posting include the Funding Opportunity Number MBDA OBD 2011 2002775 and CFDA number 11.805 (MBDA Business Center). The opportunity category is discretionary, the activity area is Business and Commerce, and the estimated total funding shown is $8,700,000 for the referenced fiscal year. The posting date and creation date were September 27, 2010, with an application deadline of November 10, 2010, and an archive date of December 10, 2010, indicating this is a historical posting with a closed competition cycle.
Finally, the announcement emphasizes an important disqualifier: applications that propose using funds to start or expand an individual business are not responsive and will not be considered. MBDA is specifically looking for applicants proposing to operate an MBDA Business Center and to provide the consulting services described in the FFO to eligible minority-owned firms. For applicants that needed help accessing the full announcement electronically, the contact listed was Steve Drescher, Policy Advisor, for application download issues only, and the posting directs readers to use the "Full Opportunity" button to access the complete funding notice and appendices.
MBDA Business Center (MBC) Grant Opportunity FAQs
What is the MBDA Business Center (MBC) opportunity?
The MBDA Business Center (MBC) opportunity is a competitive federal funding announcement from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA). It is intended to select organizations to operate MBDA Business Centers in specific locations identified in the Full Funding Opportunity (FFO).
Is this funding meant to support individual businesses directly?
No. This program does not fund individual businesses directly. It funds organizations that will operate MBDA Business Centers and provide hands-on business consulting and capacity-building services to eligible minority business enterprises (MBEs).
What is the main purpose of funding MBDA Business Centers?
The purpose is to help minority-owned firms secure more financing and contract opportunities, win related awards, and ultimately create and retain jobs by providing sustained, structured assistance through a regional center.
What type of award is expected under this opportunity?
Awards are planned as cooperative agreements. This typically means MBDA expects to have substantial involvement in the project compared with a standard grant.
How many awards does MBDA intend to make?
MBDA indicates it intends to make thirty (30) individual awards.
How long is the expected project period for each MBDA Business Center award?
Each selected MBC project is expected to run for a total award period of five (5) years. Funding is structured around an initial year and continued support in later years, subject to appropriations and satisfactory performance.
Is the funding guaranteed for all five years?
No. Continued support in later years is subject to appropriations and satisfactory performance. The announcement notes that, at the time of posting, program funding had not yet been appropriated, meaning awards and continuation funding depend on Congressional funding decisions.
How much total funding was anticipated for the initial year?
MBDA anticipated about $8.7 million in FY 2011 funds to support the initial financial assistance awards for the MBC projects identified in the FFO.
Was continuation funding expected in later fiscal years?
Yes. The announcement expected roughly $8.7 million to be available in each subsequent fiscal year from FY 2012 through FY 2015 to support continuation funding, subject to appropriations and satisfactory performance.
How do applicants know which locations are eligible for competition?
The specific locations where centers would be competed are listed in the Full Funding Opportunity (FFO). The amounts tied to each center location and the competed sites are provided in Appendix A of the full announcement.
Do applicants apply for any location, or must they align to a specific site?
Applicants need to align their proposal to one of the specified sites listed in the FFO and to the associated funding level described in Appendix A.
Is there a cost sharing or matching requirement?
Yes. A cost sharing or matching requirement applies. Applicants should expect MBDA to require non-federal resources to support the project budget, consistent with the terms laid out in the FFO.
What does the cost sharing requirement mean for applicants in practical terms?
It affects how an applicant plans to operate a center over multiple years, including assembling partner contributions, cash or in-kind support, and structuring the overall project budget in a way that meets the FFO requirements.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes for-profit entities (such as sole proprietorships, partnerships, LLCs, and corporations), nonprofit organizations, state and local government entities, American Indian Tribes, and educational institutions. The posting also notes "Others (see text...)," so the definitive eligibility rules, restrictions, and any special conditions are in the FFO.
What kinds of organizations does MBDA expect to compete to run centers?
The opportunity reflects that MBDA expects a wide range of capable operators to compete, including universities, economic development organizations, nonprofits, and private sector entities.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this announcement?
The Funding Opportunity Number is MBDA OBD 2011 2002775.
What is the CFDA number for this program?
The CFDA number listed is 11.805 (MBDA Business Center).
What type of funding opportunity category is this?
The opportunity category is discretionary.
What activity area does this opportunity fall under?
The activity area is Business and Commerce.
What is the estimated total funding shown in the posting?
The estimated total funding shown is $8,700,000 for the referenced fiscal year.
What are the key dates for this opportunity?
The posting date and creation date were September 27, 2010. The application deadline was November 10, 2010. The archive date was December 10, 2010.
Is this an active funding opportunity?
No. Based on the provided dates (deadline November 10, 2010 and archive date December 10, 2010), this is a historical posting with a closed competition cycle.
What kinds of applications will be considered non-responsive?
Applications that propose using funds to start or expand an individual business are explicitly described as not responsive and will not be considered.
What does MBDA want applicants to propose instead of funding a single business?
MBDA is looking for applicants proposing to operate an MBDA Business Center and provide the consulting services described in the FFO to eligible minority-owned firms.
Where are the detailed program requirements and appendices located?
The detailed requirements, eligible locations, and funding amounts by site are in the Full Funding Opportunity (FFO), including Appendix A. The posting directs readers to use the "Full Opportunity" button to access the complete funding notice and appendices.
Who is listed as the contact for help accessing the full announcement electronically?
The contact listed is Steve Drescher, Policy Advisor, for application download issues only.
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