Shenandoah Community Capital Fund is one of 51 grantees selected nationwide to be part of the Biden-Harris administration’s Community Navigator Pilot Program, an American Rescue Plan initiative designed to reduce barriers that all small businesses, including those owned by disadvantaged groups such as veterans, women, and those from rural communities and communities of color, often face in accessing critical support.
The Community Navigator Pilot Program will provide $1 million in funding to SCCF to connect Valley entrepreneurs with government resources so they can recover and thrive.
The U.S. Small Business Administration announced the winners during a live stream event that took place on Facebook.
“The Biden-Harris administration has prioritized building our small business ecosystems back better so that all of our entrepreneurs have a fair shot at achieving the American dream of business ownership,” said Administrator Isabella Guzman. “We need to meet businesses where they are with resources to start, grow and be resilient, and the Community Navigator Pilot Program will power a trusted network of community partners to connect America’s entrepreneurs with the SBA. The program’s Community Navigators will develop strong relationships with deeply trusted community-based organizations that will tap into one-on-one, targeted support from programs designed to help them create jobs and drive innovation.”
“We are thrilled to be part of the Tier 3 group of grantees strengthening local and rural businesses in our communities,” said Debbie Irwin, executive director of the Shenandoah Community Capital Fund. “To be part of this program is an honor and a testament to the expertise and experience SCCF has gained in developing entrepreneurs and supporting the growth of small businesses in our region. With these funds, we’ll go even further in our pursuit of thriving entrepreneurial communities throughout the Shenandoah Valley.”
About the Community Navigator Pilot Program
Utilizing a “hub and spoke” model from public health care federal programming, the SBA’s Community Navigator Pilot Program will help level the playing field for America’s entrepreneurs, especially our underserved women, people of color, veterans, and rural and low-income communities. Grantee “hubs” will serve as centralized, lead organizations, and will incorporate “spokes” to leverage partnerships with deeply trusted community-based organizations to help small businesses navigate government resources and tap into critical resources.
The SBA conducted a competitive review process to ensure compliance, objectivity, and integrity that allowed every applicant an opportunity to demonstrate the impact the SBA’s support of their organization could have on their communities.
Organizations selected to receive funding will be ramping up their operations in the coming weeks to support local business owners.
Classification: To best ensure the greatest amount of equity and diversity across geographies and optimize the SBA’s service delivery reach, the program established a tiered approach, as follows: Tier 1 will represent organizations with a national footprint; Tier 2 organizations will have a statewide and/or regional reach; and, Tier 3 will focus on city, countywide and/or rural engagement.
Breadth and depth of network: 51 Community Navigators will provide coverage across the country with the support of over 400 spoke organizations. Each hub organization will support a minimum of 5 spokes.
Funding: The SBA will provide grants to Community Navigators ranging from $1M to $5M over the course of two years. Tier 1 recipients were awarded up to $5 million, Tier 2 up to $2.5 million and Tier 3 up to $1 million.
For additional information on SBA’s Community Navigator Pilot Program visit www.sba.gov/navigators.
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Chris Graham
