(Washington, DC) — Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship Ranking Member Ben Cardin (D-Md.) today lauded the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) funding opportunity announcement for organizations interested in hosting another Women’s Business Center in Maryland.  The new WBC would provide greater geographic coverage in Maryland, which currently has a Women’s Business Center based in Rockville.

In December, Cardin attended a grant workshop at Morgan State University hosted by SBA where eligible applicants learned about the process for competing to host a WBC, as well as the responsibilities that come with becoming a WBC host.

“Maryland is home to one of the most diverse small business communities in the nation, and I applaud SBA for making this critical investment in our entrepreneurs, who will be well-served by the flexible hours and entrepreneurial development training that the WBC will provide,” Ranking Member Cardin said. “This investment will give entrepreneurs at all stages of the business life cycle the tools and support they need to start and grow their enterprises and create jobs. I encourage Maryland’s higher education institutions—especially HBCUs and MSIs—and nonprofit organizations to submit their finest proposals so SBA can find the best possible partner to host the WBC and serve our state’s entrepreneurs.”

The SBA WBC program is a national network of more than 100 locations that offer one-on-one counseling and entrepreneurial development training to women and other underserved entrepreneurs seeking to start and grow their small businesses.

Eligible applicants for the WBC grant must be private, nonprofit organizations with 501(c) tax-exempt status from the U.S. Treasury/Internal Revenue Service in Maryland. SBA is encouraging Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HCBUs) and minority serving institutions (MSIs) to submit proposals.