SCORE | SCORE 2018 01

Opportunity Information: Apply for SCORE 2018 01

The SCORE grant opportunity is a discretionary federal funding program administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to support the delivery of high-quality business and economic development assistance to both existing small businesses and nascent entrepreneurs who are still in the pre-venture stage. The program centers on providing professional, individualized business advising and hands-on technical assistance that helps entrepreneurs and small business owners solve practical problems that can slow growth or prevent a business from launching successfully. In simple terms, the government is funding an organization to deliver structured, expert guidance that improves how small firms are started, managed, and expanded.

The core purpose of SCORE under this opportunity is to strengthen small business performance by improving decision-making and operational capability across the areas that most often determine success or failure. The supported advising is intended to help small businesses access capital and financing, develop stronger business plans, and refine overall strategy. It also targets day-to-day fundamentals such as operations, financial management, personnel and HR administration, marketing, sales, and export assistance. In addition, the program explicitly highlights support for technology development and exchange, signaling that assistance may include helping businesses adopt new tools, improve productivity through innovation, and better compete in changing markets. The overall expected outcome is management improvement, increased productivity, and more sustainable business growth and expansion.

From an administrative standpoint, this opportunity is offered as a cooperative agreement, which generally means the SBA anticipates having substantial involvement in the funded work compared with a standard grant. The funding activity category is listed as Business and Commerce, and the program is associated with CFDA number 59.026. The opportunity is titled "SCORE" and is identified by Funding Opportunity Number "SCORE 2018 01." The eligible applicant pool is limited to nonprofit organizations with IRS 501(c)(3) status, excluding institutions of higher education, indicating that the SBA is seeking an established nonprofit operator capable of delivering advising and technical assistance services at scale.

Key timing and funding details provided include an original closing date of January 16, 2018, and a creation date of December 12, 2017. The award ceiling is listed as $10,000,000, which indicates the maximum potential funding amount under this opportunity, although the source data does not specify the number of expected awards. Overall, this grant opportunity is best understood as federal support for a nonprofit-led advising infrastructure that directly improves small business readiness, performance, and growth through targeted, expert, one-on-one and technical assistance services.

• The Small Business Administration in the business and commerce sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "SCORE" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 59.026.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-12-12.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-01-16. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $10,000,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

Apply for SCORE 2018 01

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