56-1, 18-5, 80-1

Seeking qualified host organizations to operate Small Business Development Centers and Satellite Centers and provide program services.

Section 21 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. § 648)

20 ILCS 605/605-500

14 Illinois Administrative Code Part 570

The Illinois Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) located throughout the state provide information, confidential business guidance, training, and other resources to start-up and existing small businesses. In addition, the Illinois SBDCs help clients with securing needed business capital, marketing, exporting, commercialization of new ideas, development of innovative products and services. Client projects range from early-stage, pre-revenue concepts to established business operations.

Yes

Program-Specific Terms and requirements are included in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for this grant opportunity. Additional information and requirements can be found at Small Business Act, Section 21 (15 U.S.C. 648), Public Law 96-302. THE FOLLOW ARE GATA EXCEPTIONS AND ARE NOT REQUIRED FOR THIS PROGRAM: INDIRECT COST RATE 13 CFR 130.460(C) Separate SBDC service provider budgets. (1) The applicant organization shall include separate budgets for all subcontracted SBDC service providers in conformity with OMB requirements. Applicable direct cost categories and indirect cost base/rate agreements shall be included for the Lead Center and all SBDC service providers, using a rate equal to or less than the negotiated predetermined rate. If no such rate exists, the sponsoring SBDC organization or SBDC service provider shall negotiate a rate with its Cognizant Agency. In the event the sponsoring SBDC organization or SBDC service provider does not have a Cognizant Agency, the rate shall be negotiated with the SBA Project Officer in accordance with OMB guidelines (see OMB Circular A-21). OSBDC Program Announcements OSBDC-2018-01 and OSBDC-2018-02 4.1.6.2.4 To propose and subsequently claim indirect costs, Applicants must furnish their current indirect cost rate (ICR) Agreement: - As negotiated with their cognizant Federal Agency; - Certified by their state governmental unit and approved by their cognizant Federal Agency; or - A rate approved by SBA. ICR Agreements for participating Service Centers must also be submitted. Entities currently without an ICR Agreement negotiated with another Federal Agency may request that the SBA Project Officer provide an SBA ICR Agreement (at 24% of Modified Total Direct Costs) to be used exclusively for the SBDC program. For entities using an SBA-provided ICR Agreement, the following terms apply: - These terms are to assist in identifying and clarifying those costs considered to be “general administrative and general expenses” noted in 2 C.F.R. § 200. They form the basis for this SBA ICR Agreement and subsequently may not also be included as direct costs against the award when the SBDC ICR Agreement is used. - Cost pools underlying the ICR Agreement include personnel compensation and benefits for positions or for activities which are not: i) In direct support of the SBDC program goals and objectives, and ii) Under the direction or supervision of the key person identified in the Cooperative Agreement as responsible for program performance at the respective host entity; - Examples include, but are not limited to, those expenditures allocable to human resources and accounting departments, sponsored project staff, corporate marketing staff, controllers, deans, chief executives, and presidents of colleges and universities; and - Non-personnel costs such as audits, supplies, materials, insurance, and other services and operating costs allocable to administrative departments and to the activities of the host entity are considered part of the “general and administrative cost pool” and thus may not also be directly charged.

Nonprofit Organizations; Education Organizations;

Eligible Applicants include: • Fully accredited institutions of higher education, such as public and private universities, state, and community colleges. • Private nonprofit organizations engaged in economic development activities. • Local counties or municipalities with established community/economic development departments and/or programs. • Public economic development institutions such as workforce investment boards and economic development corporations. Only applicants seeking to serve as an Illinois SBDC service center are eligible to receive direct awards from the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO). o Satellites may be included in service center applications but will not receive direct funding from DCEO; they must be supported through subawards or MOUs with their service center partner. o Service centers may submit consolidated applications to host specialty designations, including International Trade Centers (ITCs) and manufacturing specialties. Each applicant shall demonstrate the following attributes: o A well-established host organization (at least 5 years in operation) with a mission aligned to the Illinois SBDC mission. o Fiscal soundness, with the ability to cash flow SBDC operations at the start of the program year and provide documented proof of required cash match sources. o Experience in receiving, expending, tracking, and reporting government funding. o Capacity to attract and retain a well-rounded, educated, and experienced staff committed to serving small businesses. o Ability to identify and access a wide range of small business-related resources to support client needs. o Defined service area aligned with geographical coverage of the state.

Aspiring entrepreneurs and existing small business owners receive confidential business guidance, training, and other resources to start and grow their small business(es).

Advisory Services and Counseling

Economic Development

N/A

A standard application package must be submitted to and reviewed by DCEO. Each package must contain the following items: ? Uniform Grant Application in fillable PDF format. The signature page must be printed, signed, scanned, and submitted with the application. ? Uniform Budget utilizing the template provided by DCEO for this project. The entire budget, including all worksheets, even if the worksheets are not relevant to the grant opportunity, must be submitted with the application materials. The signature page must be printed, signed, scanned, and submitted with the application. ? Conflict of Interest Disclosure ? Mandatory Disclosures This Notice of Funding Opportunity also requires the submission of the following other programmatic specific items as part of the program application that can be found on the website where you accessed the application document: ? Program Application ? Illinois SBDC Personnel Detail Form and Organizational Charts ? Proposed Scope of Work ? Proposed Training Calendar ? Listing of Office Closures and Holidays for Program Year 2026 ? Letters of Support (Optional) ? Any other required supplemental documentation noted in the application Sections 1 through 4 of the SBDC Program Application must not exceed a total of fifteen (15) pages. Section 5: Specialty Designations and Section 6: Submission Checklist are not included in this page limit. Any pages exceeding the 15-page limit for Sections 1 through 4 will not be reviewed or considered Please note that there is a maximum upload of 10 documents in the web form that you submit the application, so combining files may be necessary.

• Performance Measures must be answered in the text box provided or listed separately and attached to the application. If listing separately, please label accordingly. • Budget Forms •Submit Budget Detail for in EXCEL FORMAT ONLY; main and specialty focus should be included on a single budget but denoted. • The initial preparation of your budget should begin with the completion of the Budget Justification/Personnel grid and end with the completion of the Budget Detail Form. All information should be clear and concise and checked for accuracy and completeness. A maximum of 10% flexibility of each budget category is allowable without doing a formal budget modification during the course of the agreement. It is important that budget amounts be estimated as close as possible to actual costs to minimize the necessity for formal modifications to the agreement. • Budget Justification/Personnel Form - Column 1 - List the names and titles for all key personnel, including center directors, special program directors, advisors, trainers, and other professionals. - Column 2 - List the grant funds requested for each position listed in column 1 - Column 3 - List the proposed cash match for each position listed in column 1 - Column 4 - List the Total Annual Salary of the position listed in column 1 - Column 5 - List the number of months the position listed in column 1 is dedicated to the grant; if full-time, the number of months should be 12 - Column 6 - List the level of effort in percentage for the position listed in column 1 - Column 7 - List the Total Amount required for the position listed in column 1 • The Total Cost Row at the bottom of the grid will automatically calculate for columns 2, 3, 4, and 7. • These fields will also automatically populate the Personnel row in the Budget Detail Form below this grid. • Budget Detail Form To complete the Budget Detail Form, please enter your information only in the gray text areas within each of the budget categories in the Application

N/A

Applicants are given approximately four weeks to prepare and submit the application with the designated attachments. The application and attachments should reflect the 12-month period for calendar year (CY)26. The application process consists of a three-phase approach to fully evaluate applicants’ proposals: Phase 1: INITIAL REVIEW: The Illinois SBDC staff will perform an initial cursory review to ensure proposals comply with basic form and content requirements. At this time, the applications are logged in with the applicant’s name, submission date, center program, and funds requested. Phase 2: IN-DEPTH APPLICATION REVIEW: All applications undergo an in-depth review by a minimum of three department staff persons. Reviewers utilize the Application Review Instrument to evaluate the strength and completeness of the application to address the following: 1.) Need – identification of stakeholders, facts, and evidence that demonstrate the proposal supports the grant program purpose; 2.) Capacity – the ability of an entity to execute the grant project according to project requirements; and 3.) Quality – the totality of features and characteristics of a service, project, or product that indicates its ability to satisfy the requirements of the grant program. At least one of the reviewers must be an Illinois SBDC Network staff person. Reviewers may also be selected from other Bureaus/Divisions of the Illinois Department of Commerce. Following an in-depth review and scoring by at least three staff members, the application scores are compiled. Phase 3: STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS/FINAL REVIEW: Following the completion of the Phase 2 Review, the Illinois SBDC staff develops funding recommendations, taking into account the available state and federal appropriation levels for the SBDC program. These recommendations are submitted for review, approval, and processing through the Illinois Department of Commerce and the U.S. Small Business Administration for funding approval. Anticipated Announcement and State Award Dates Applicants will be notified upon completion and approval of the funding plan, contingent on the availability of funds. The Department reserves the right to issue a reduced award or not to issue any award. Applicants may utilize the appeal process as stated in the Merit-Based Review policy available in the Resource Library at www.grants.illinois.gov.

Late Fall

N/A

The Merit Based Review process is subject to appeal. However, competitive grant appeals are limited to the evaluation process. Evaluation scores may not be protested. Only the evaluation process is subject to appeal. The appeal must be submitted in writing to the Department within 14 calendar days from the date of the denial letter. The written appeal shall include the name and address of the appealing party, the identification of the grant and a statement of reasons for the appeal. To file an appeal, applicants must submit the appeal in writing and in accordance with the Merit-Based Application Review Appeals Process listed on the Grant Opportunities page of the DCEO website: https://www2.illinois.gov/dceo/AboutDCEO/GrantOpportunities/Pages/MeritAppReview.aspx.

Annual renew up to 3 years

Match must be available at beginning of PY. Applications must include a matching contribution of 100% of the grant amount. Of the 100% matching contribution, a minimum of 50% of the grant amount must be provided in cash match. Cash outlay must not include other Federal funds, indirect costs, in-kind contributions, or program income derived from activities supported in whole or in part with Federal or match funds. Any remaining match should be satisfied through in-kind (non-cash) costs. Sources of all utilized match must be identified and by the applicant and documentation must be provided to the Illinois SBDC State Office. Changes to any match sources at any time during the program year require formal notification.

The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (“Final Guidance”), located at 2 C.F.R. 200 et seq., supersedes and combines the requirements of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circulars A-21, A-87, A-102, A-110, A-122, and A-133. The SBA has published exceptions to the Final Guidance at 2 C.F.R. Part 2701

Quarterly reports using PPR and PFR. Each center must also maintain records in accordance with specific program guidelines and policies including the use of the designated Illinois customer relationship management (CRM) system

N/A

N/A

Various

Various

Minimum: $80,000, Maximum: $525,000 Average: $130,000

N/A

N/A

https://www.sba.gov/about-sba/sba-locations/headquarters-offices/office-small-business-development-centers

555 W Monroe St, 12th Floor Chicago, IL 60661, 1011 S 2nd St Springfield, IL 62704, 1020 S Spring St Springfield, IL 62704

www.illinoissbdc.com

N/A

N/A

11/16/2022

FY 2015 : $6,410,252
FY 2016 : $5,664,538
FY 2017 : $3,022,308
FY 2018 : $3,500,000
FY 2019 : $4,200,000
FY 2023 : $5,585,000