ATLANTA, GA – The Small Business Assistance Corporation (SBAC) of Savannah, Georgia will receive the Vision 2000 Models of Excellence Award at Vision 2000: The States and Small Business Conference to be held on Dec.1-2, in Washington, D.C. Winners of these national awards were selected from hundreds of nominations submitted to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy, which is sponsoring the awards program. Vision 2000 is designed to showcase outstanding initiatives that advance small business programs and policies.

"It is a honor to present a Vision 2000 Award to so many outstanding local small business initiatives," Chief Counsel for Advocacy Jere W. Glover said. "These award-winning small business programs and leaders are the surest guarantee for small business success in the new millennium. The Office of Advocacy will give these awards in December to celebrate the extraordinary accomplishments of entrepreneurship in the 20th Century."

Vision 2000 Models of Excellence Awards for Access to Capital honor programs that increase the accessibility and availability of capital for small businesses (such as micro-lending, incubator, seed and patient capital, small business loan guarantees and venture capital). The Small Business Assistance Corporation (SBAC) is a specialized, non-profit certified development corporation founded by Mr. Tony O’Reilly for this purpose in 1989.

SBAC has assisted hundreds of small businesses and continues to develop new programs and initiatives to meet the small business needs of the Savannah community. SBAC was the first business development intermediary in the State of Georgia to design and implement a small loan (less than $50,000) guaranty program using Housing and Urban Development Community Block Grant funds. SBAC also created access to capital for inner city enterprises through the use of "credit circles," a peer group lending process based on the Grameen Bank microlending model.

Since its inception, SBAC has provided 450 business loans to projects valued at more than $105 million from 12 different sources. The organization has created 2,185 jobs and multiplied private sector capital 3.7 times in the form of investments and bank loans. By utilizing these private sector resources, SBAC has placed loans through 40 banks and funding sources. Many of the businesses served by SBAC are minority- and women-owned businesses.

State policy-makers, state and local program directors, non-profit service providers, small business owners, and small business trade association executives will attend this year’s conference to honor winners in a number of categories including: Leadership in Small Business Issues; Small Business Development; Access to Capital; Government Procurement Opportunities; Regulations that Work for Small Business; Programs that Support Small Technology Businesses; Women’s Business Development; Minority Business Development; Rural Business Development; and Distinguished Programs.

Supporters of the event include the American Franchisee Association, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Ceridian, ChamberBiz.com, Fortune Small Business Magazine, International Franchise Association, Microsoft, National Association of Women Business Owners, National Business Association, National Federation of Independent Business, National Small Business United, Onvia.com, Pacific Bell, Small Business Association of Michigan, Small Business Legislative Council, Small Business Technology Coalition, SMC Business Councils and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Vision 2000: The States and Small Business Conference will be held on Dec. 1-2, in Washington, D.C. at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber is located at 1615 H Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20062. For more information about the conference and award winners visit the Vision 2000 home page at http://www.sba.gov/ADVO/vision.html. Inquiries about program content and awards may be directed to Paulette Norvel-Lewis at (404) 331-3081.

The SBA's Office of Advocacy was created by an act of Congress in 1976 to protect, strengthen and effectively represent the nation's small businesses within the federal government. As part of this mandate, the office conducts policy studies and economic research on issues of concern to small business and publishes data on small business characteristics and contributions. For instant access to small business resources, statistics, and research, visit the Office of Advocacy's home page at http://www.sba.gov/ADVO/.

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