Gov. Abbott Announces Small Business Initiatives 2017

The Governor’s Office of Small Business Assistance and the Texas Workforce Commission are pleased to announce the expansion of statewide initiatives for 2017. Small business initiatives are designed to keep the State of Texas as the premier place to start, grow, and sustain small and midsized businesses. The efforts provide Texas entrepreneurs, business owners, and stakeholders with tools, resources, programs, insights, networks and expertise to help them prosper. 

We invite partnership and participation from every region in Texas. Small Business Service Providers, such as chambers of commerce, economic development organizations (EDOs), and small business-serving organizations are encouraged to apply to partner with us on the following 2017 Governor’s Small Business Initiatives:

Governor’s Small Business Forums are community facing, small business enabling events designed to provide timely, relevant, and actionable advice to small business owners. Program partners such as state agencies, small business development centers (SBDCs), Workforce Solutions, and local service providers partner to assist entrepreneurs, small business owners, disabled and veteran-owned businesses, and Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUBs). Many Forums provide resources related to exporting opportunities and each Forum celebrates successful companies through regional small business awards.

Governor’s Small Business Service Provider Workshops convene small business service providers and stakeholders in rural and urban communities to facilitate regional cooperation and collaboration to build small business service capacity. Workshops highlight best practices in business retention and expansion, entrepreneurship support, innovation, public procurement, exporting and workforce development. The Workshops utilize local resources as well as international subject matter experts to address local and regional economic issues and opportunities.

The partnership application portal for the Governor’s Small Business Forums and Governor’s Small Business Service Provider Workshops is now open and will remain open through January 20, 2017. Please submit your application to host the 2017 Governor’s Small Business Initiatives through the portal, which can be found here.  Announcement of Forums and Workshops during this first round of consideration will begin in late January.

To include your application in the first round of consideration, please complete the online application no later than 5:00 PM Central Time (CT) on Friday, January 20, 2017.

The criteria to consider when submitting the initial application include: 

1. Event Structure: All events must be stand-alone Governor’s Small Business Forums and must be titled “Governor’s Small Business Forum” with the option for a sub-title.

2. Financial Capability:  Ability for the host partner to provide interim funds for 30-45 days before reimbursement (agreement of financial responsibility for the expected cost of the event).

3. Regional Cooperation and Collaboration:  Stature of host partner to engage and convene the greatest number of relevant service providers and regional partners to deliver the Governor’s Small Business Initiatives to a region.  Rural regionalization efforts will receive special consideration in the selection process.

4. Marketing and Outreach: Capacity to organize and conduct outreach to the greatest number of small/medium enterprises (SMEs), HUBs and service providers in your region (as well as to the general public).

5. Service and Program Offering: Availability of expertise and knowledge of programs, services, and resources in your region to assist SMEs, HUBs, disability-owned, and veteran-owned businesses.

6. Staff Support and Event Execution:  Possess the technical and administrative expertise to host a large event specifically geared to delivering resources to SMEs and service providers in your region.

Details and application for Governor’s Small Business Service Provider Grants will be released early 2017.

We look forward to working with you. Please reach out to the Office of Small Business Assistance with any questions.Thank you for your participation.

Sincerely,