Community Budget Issue Requests - Tracking Id #623FY0001 Florida Small Business Develoment Center Enhancement Initiative
Requester:		Jerry Cartwright, State Director			Organization:		University of West Florida
Project Title:		Florida Small Business Develoment Center Enhancement Initiative			Date Submitted:		2/8/01 4:08:10 PM
Sponsors:		Anna Cowin
Statewide Interest:		Supports state's role in providing a positive economic environment .
Recipient:		Florida Small Business Development Center Network			Contact:		Jerry Cartwright, State Director
		19 West Garden Street, Suite 300			Contact Phone:		(850) 595-6060 222
		Pensacola 32503
Counties:		{Statewide}
Service Area:		Private Organization
Project Description:
The Fla. Small Business Development center network program is a federal partnership program that provides management and technical assistance to entrepreneurs and small business owners/managers through a statewide network of 20 university, community college, chamber of commerce and economic development council-based offices Federal funding from the U.S. Small Business Administration and existing funds from the individual hosts and from the universities and colleges through their respective general education funds have provided for a solid foundation and infrastructure to deliver needed one-to-one counseling and educational training to entrepreneurs and small business owners/managers. This request seeks direct state line item dollar for dollar matching to meet the ever-increasing demand for SBDC services as well as to enhance geographic outreach to rural and underserved areas of Florida. This funding request will also leverage approximately $625,000 in new federal funding for technology assistance to increase participation and awards in the SBIR/STTR programs and increased funding based upon estimated population increases to the state and increased demand for SBDC services. No overhead costs are included in this request and all funding is allocated toward direct couseling and educational services to the statewide small and minority business sector. Additional state funding will provide for establishment of 4 new SBDC's in rural and/or underserved areas of the state; placement of 6 new contracting specialists to assist small and minority business obtain private, local, state and federal contracts for goods and services; placement of 6 international trade specialists to assist new-to-market and new-to-export small businesses become qualified and certified to enter the international trade arena through existing Enterpriese Florida Trade Missions; placement of at least 1 Certified Business Analyst at each exisitng SBDC to meet increased demand for direct counseling assistance to entrepreneurs and small business owners/managers; placement of 5 certified energy/facility surveyors and associated building diagnostic equipment to meet increased energy conservation demands; full SBDC participation in the federally-funded Veterans Business Outreach Center to provide service-disabled veterans with direct counseling and educational services; provide for matching funds for the development and implementation of technology assistance to increase participation, awards and commercialization of technology in the SBIR/STIR programs.
Measurable Outcome Anticipated:
Total annual outreach and impact resulting from this direct funding request: Entrepreneurs/Small Businesses counseled 20,768; Enterepreneurs/Small Businesses trained 23,279; Jobs Created/retained 20,725; New Businesses opened 694; Value of new capital obtained $94,928,007; Value of domestic sales growth $125,124,548; Value of contact awards $801,350,000; value of minority contract awards $351,502,904; Value of export sales growth $46,330,100; Value of export financing $24,592,543.
Amount requested from the State for this project this year:						$3,722,000
Total cost of the project:			$3,722,000
Request has been made to fund:				Operations
Type of funding match:		Federal
	Total Cash Amount:		$712,500		Total In-Kind Amount:		$12,500
Was this project previously funded by the State?							No
Is future-year funding likely to be requested?							Yes
	Amount:		$3,722,000
	Purpose for future year funding:					Recurring Operations
	Will this be an annual request?						Yes
Was this project included in an Agency's Budget Request?							No
Was this project included in the Governor's Recommended Budget?							No
Is there a documented need for this project?							Yes
	Documentation:		Public Law 96-302 (Amended); Florida Law 85-104 Small & Minority Bus.Assist. Act of 1985.
Was this project request heard before a publicly noticed meeting of a body of elected officials (municipal, county, or state)?							Yes
	Hearing Body:		Marion County Legislative Delelgation
	Meeting Date:		1/19/01