Small Business Development Centers

The Kentucky Small Business Development Center (KSBDC) is submitting a proposal for the Office of Small Business Development Centers Portable Assistance Program, Funding Opportunity No. OSBDC . 2019-04. Through this Funding Opportunity, the SBA seeks to make grants to SBDC Lead Centers to serve economically distressed areas. Projects under this award must provide technical assistance and/or training services to small businesses in communities that are economically impacted as a result of a recent business or government facility downsizing or closing, known as a gQualifying Event.h These Qualifying Events must demonstrate negative impacts of job losses or small business instability in the SBDC Service Area. If funded, the KSBDC will dedicate these funds to developing and delivering an Artisan Outreach program to continue to build on Kentucky's growing creative economy. Kentuckyfs creative industries play an important role in building and sustaining the economic vibrancy of the Commonwealth. This industry creates jobs for Kentuckians who spend money locally, pay taxes and contribute to the quality of life in their communities. This program will build upon existing partnerships with local artisan and community organizations and leverage on newly developed relationships throughout the state. Although the primary geographic focus will be in Eastern and Western Kentucky, the program will be available throughout the state as needed. The continued loss of coal jobs and the subsequent downsizing to the secondary businesses in the Eastern and South]Central Kentucky regions combined with major industry closures in the Western and Eastern parts of the state make Kentucky an ideal location for this award. The KSBDC has identified the following recent industry closures as a basis for this funding proposal