$300,000 in grants to aid entrepreneurship training for women veterans

The Office of Veterans Business Development (OVBD) of the Small Business Administration (SBA) recently announced the availability of $300,000 in funding through its Women Veteran Entrepreneurship Training Program.

Women veteran owned small businesses represent 383,302 businesses throughout the country as of 2012, with a combined $17.9 billion generated from sales. That figure represents a 294.7 percent increase from 2007, and 15.2 percent of the overall number of veteran-owned businesses.

The Women Veteran Entrepreneurship Training Program will provide grants for organizations that will provide women veterans, service members and spouses of service members and veterans with entrepreneurship training. The program will benefit veterans disabled in the course of their service, active duty service members and members of the National Guard or Reserve component.

The funding is open to nonprofit organizations, local and state government organizations, private sector businesses and higher learning institutions. Those applying for funding should have a demonstrated history of providing similar services to the program’s targeted beneficiaries. The SBA plans to select up to six organizations to benefit from the program and has set a minimum award of $25,000.