Funding Opportunity Announcement No. OWBO-COVID-1

Summary

Funding Opportunity Announcement No. OWBO-COVID-1 from the U.S. Small Business Administration's Office of Women's Business Ownership (OWBO), a request for work plan and budget with a project budget period of May 1, 2020 to April 30, 2021, opening April 7, 2020 and closing April 21, 2020. Its purpose is to provide Women's Business Centers (WBCs) in SBA's WBC Program with resources for education, training and business advising to small businesses that experienced supply chain disruptions, staffing challenges, a decrease in gross receipts or customers, or a closure as a result of COVID-19. It states that this is a non-competitive grant opportunity.

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U.S. Small Business Administration
Office of Women’s Business Ownership (OWBO)
Funding Opportunity Announcement No. OWBO-COVID-1
REQUEST FOR WORK PLAN AND BUDGET

Project Budget Period: May 1, 2020 to April 30, 2021

Opening Date: April 7, 2020
Closing Date: April 21, 2020

The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to provide
Women’s Business Centers (WBCs) that are currently in SBA’s WBC Program
with resources to provide education, training, and business advising to small
businesses that have experienced supply chain disruptions, staffing challenges, a
decrease in gross receipts or customers, or a closure as a result of COVID-19.
This is a non-competitive grant opportunity; therefore, there is no synopsis posted
at grants.gov. This FOA requesting work plan narrative and budget, templates, the
instructions, and checklist were attached to the e-mail sent to the WBC Directors
on April 7, 2020. All other required SBA forms and worksheets relevant to this
request are located at sba.gov/wbc.
The SBA will not reimburse applicants for their proposal preparation costs, but
applicants may request pre-award costs. Pre-award costs must directly relate to the
conduct of the project and meet the tests of allowability, allocability, and
reasonableness.
Given the current economic emergency facing the small business community and
based upon SBA’s experience in prior emergency situations, as informed by the
findings and recommendations of the Agency’s Inspector General, OWBO has
decided in accordance with 2 C.F.R. § 200.307 that the generation of program
income is not appropriate under these circumstances. As such, OWBO will not
approve any requests made under 2 C.F.R. § 200.407 to generate program income.
Proposals responding to this FOA must be submitted via email to
wbcapprovals@sba.gov by 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, on April 21,
2020. No other methods of submission will be permitted. Proposals submitted
after the stipulated deadline will be rejected without being evaluated.
U.S. Small Business Administration
Office of Women’s Business Ownership
Women’s Business Center Renewal Grant
Funding Opportunity Announcement No. OWBO-COVID-1

Table of Contents
U.S. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
OFFICE OF WOMEN’S BUSINESS OWNERSHIP
I. Statement of the Problem...................................................................................................................... 2
II. Project Objectives, Metrics and Milestones.......................................................................................... 2
III. Financial Justification ........................................................................................................................... 3
IV. Ineligible Applicants.............................................................................................................................. 3
V. Additional Documents............................................................................................................................ 3
VI. Submission Instructions ......................................................................................................................... 3
VII. Reporting Requirements........................................................................................................................ 4
VIII. Checklist of Required Submissions...................................................................................................... 5

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U.S. Small Business Administration
Office of Women’s Business Ownership
Women’s Business Center Renewal Grant
Funding Opportunity Announcement No. OWBO-COVID-1

Work Plan Narrative Guide
For each section below, the narrative must address all the questions included in that section. The
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total response to the requests in this template must be limited to 5 pages. This does not include
the other required attachments. If the Host has multiple WBCs, make sure each narrative is
unique to each WBC. Please use the sections below to organize your Work Plan Narrative.
I. Statement of the Problem
a. Describe the specific needs of small businesses resulting from the COVID-19 public
health emergency in the geographic region your WBC serves.
b. Describe the current economic and business climate of the geographic region your WBC
serves.
II. Project Objectives, Metrics and Milestones
a. Project Design: Describe your project’s approach and how project activities will support
small businesses impacted by COVID-19 by providing education, training, and business
advising to small businesses on:
▪ accessing and applying for federal resources to access capital and promote business
resiliency.
▪ the hazards and prevention of the transmission of COVID-19 and other communicable
diseases.
▪ the potential effects of COVID-19 on the supply chains, distribution, and sale of
products.
▪ the management and practice of telework to reduce possible transmission of COVID-
19.
▪ the management and practice of remote customer service by electronic or other means.
▪ the risks of and mitigation of cyber threats in remote customer service or telework
practices.
▪ the mitigation of the effects of reduced travel or outside activities on small business;
and
▪ business practices necessary to mitigate the economic effects of COVID-19 or similar
occurrences.
b. Marketing and Outreach: Describe how the center will market services to women
entrepreneurs (including a representative number that are socially and economically
disadvantaged) who’s businesses have been impacted by COVID-19 and how that
strategy will ensure that the project’s performance targets will be achieved.

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U.S. Small Business Administration
Office of Women’s Business Ownership
Women’s Business Center Renewal Grant
Funding Opportunity Announcement No. OWBO-COVID-1

III. Financial Justification
There is no set format for the budget narrative and justification; however, further
explanation must be provided for the specific cost categories and line items identified in the
SF-424A form as well as any other information you deem necessary for OWBO’s
consideration. The written justification should include the necessity and the basis for the cost.
Proposed funding levels must be consistent with the project scope, and only allowable costs
should be included in the budget. Information on cost allowability is available in the Uniform
Administrative Requirements, cost principles, and audit requirements for federal awards at 2
CFR part 200 (https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/CFR-2014-title2-vol1/CFR-2014-title2-
vol1-part200), which apply to awards in this program. The budget narrative does not count
against the five (5) page limit of the project narrative.
IV. Ineligible Applicants
Only WBCs in good standing are eligible to apply.

V. Additional Documents
a. Copies of contracts and consulting agreements (include 3 quotes for all subcontracts
between $10,001 – $250K). The WBC Host Organization must adhere to OMB Memo:
M-18-18 Micropurchase and Simplified Acquisition Thresholds for Grantees. If the Host
Organization has any contracts greater than $10k a statement should be provided that
would include a list of each contract above $10k, the three quotes for each contract and a
justification if the lowest bidder is not selected. However, more than 49 percent of this
project may not be contracted out to other parties (as measured by Project Funds). You
also may not contract out the overall administration or day-to-day management of this
project to any other party.
b. If there are contracts above $250k, the host must follow the competitive bid process and
submit the contract for prior approval.
c. Indirect costs or Facilities and Administrative (F&A) charges are currently paid under the
regular WBC core program funding. The purpose of this supplemental funding is to pay for
temporary services to affected small business concerns who suffered, in many cases, extreme
economic injury as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. SBA strongly suggests against
the charging of any indirect costs against the supplemental funding available under the CARES
Act. This will ensure that the maximum amount of resources are available for WBCs to provide
the required services.
VI. Submission Instructions
All proposals (narratives and forms) must be submitted electronically through email at
wbcapprovals@sba.gov. NO OTHER FORMS OF SUBMISSION WILL BE ACCEPTED.
Non-federal entities are required to have a DUNS number and must be registered with the

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U.S. Small Business Administration
Office of Women’s Business Ownership
Women’s Business Center Renewal Grant
Funding Opportunity Announcement No. OWBO-COVID-1

System for Award Management (SAM). If you experience technical difficulties with your
submission, please contact your OWBO assigned Program Manager.
SBA Region PM Email
1,3, 5,6,7 Laura Maas laura.maas@sba.gov
2,4, 8, 9,10 Tonya Harris tonya.harris@sba.gov

VII. Reporting Requirements
Performance Reports must address the WBC’s progress toward meeting activities, objectives and
performance goals from the approved proposal. Reports should also include a discussion of issues the
WBC believes may impair its ability to achieve these items by the end of the budget period,
accompanied by proposed actions for improvement.
WBCs will submit metrics quarterly through the SBA Office of Entrepreneurial Development EDMIS
portal and provide a quarterly report using the Performance Reporting Narrative to OWBO within 30
days after each Federally recognized quarter. Quarterly and Final Reports will include, but are not
limited to:
• efforts to develop services to assist coronavirus-affected small businesses;
• notable counseling and training programs offered by the WBC;
• efforts to connect Small Businesses to EIDL, PPP and other SBA loan programs
• challenges faced by small businesses after the effects of coronavirus;
• performance results for the following metrics: Unique Clients Served- Number of
Unique Clients Served (COVID-19 Impacted), Capital Infusion- Number of
transactions (COVID-19 Impacted), and Jobs Supported-Jobs Retained, Saved,
Created (COVID-19 Impacted); and
• other relevant outcome performance data with respect to small business, including the number
of employees affected, the effect on sales, the disruptions of supply chains, efforts to improve
remote and online sales and marketing, cybersecurity efforts, and the efforts to mitigate the
effects of disasters on small-business operations.

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U.S. Small Business Administration
Office of Women’s Business Ownership
Women’s Business Center Renewal Grant
Funding Opportunity Announcement No. OWBO-COVID-1

VIII. Checklist of Required Submissions
Checklist of Required Submissions for the
OWBO-COVID-1 - Work Plan & Budget Request
Address and submit all information requested by the COVID-19 Work Plan & Budget Request Template.
OPEN DATE: TBD, CLOSE DATE: TBD
The work plan narrative shall be limited to 5 pages and must include responses for each section. The
work plan narrative should also address all of the questions included in each section. If the Host has
multiple WBCs, please make sure each work plan narrative is unique to that WBC. You must number
□ your responses in the order of the template. Do not type directly into the COVID-19 Work Plan &
Budget Request Template.
□ SF-424 (Form located at www.sba.gov/wbc)

□ SF-424A (Form located at www.sba.gov/wbc)

□ Annual Budget Summary Worksheets (Detailed Expenditure Worksheet)

File and source

File: OWBO-COVID-FOA-Final-4-7-2020.pdf
Size: 230,016 bytes
SHA-256: 392e98e728b604595ad2cdfd6e2325c03dfc9a48c9480ac0963524de37911a44
Our copy: OWBO-COVID-FOA-Final-4-7-2020.pdf
Original: www.sba.gov