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The Question... Located within Category: Startup: Funding, Grants and Financial Resources   "Hi...:) I am so happy that I found you! I have just been approved to start a non-profit afterschool program for children and really do not know where to begin to get information regarding the funding needed to get the program off of the ground. Any suggestions that you may have would be appreciated...."   Our Answer...   In regards to your question, MBDA does not provide grants or loans. Let us take this opportunity to explain our program to you. In general, the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), U.S. Department of Commerce, provides direct business development services to minority businesses through a network of Native American Business Development Centers (NABDCs), located in key states, Minority Business Opportunity Committees (MBOCs) and Minority Business Development Centers (MBDCs) located in most major cities throughout the County. Neither MBDA nor the MBOCs/NABDCs/MBDCs provide direct loans or grants to qualified minorities or minority businesses. For a nominal fee, a center may be able to provide a Minority Business Entrepreneur (MBE) with services such as management and technical assistance, financial planning, loan packaging, assistance in business expansions, business saves and business startups. These are just a few of the services the Centers provide to qualified minorities. The following groups are considered eligible to receive MBDA assistance: Blacks, Puerto-Ricans, Spanish speaking Americans, American Indians, Eskimos, Aleuts, Hasidic Jews, Asian Pacific Americans and Asian Indians. In addition, they must be a citizen of the United States or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence. For further minority business information, you can contact our MBDA Dallas Regional Office at (214)767-8001 or email them at dro-info@mbda.gov. They will be able to refer you to the Minority Business Development Center close to your business who may be able to provide some assistance. In the event that you are not an MBE, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) offers similar business consulting services to all small businesses through its Small Business Development Center (SBDC) program. You can contact SBA at its toll free Answer Desk at 1-800-827-5722 for the phone number of the nearest SBDC located near your residence. In regard to your special situation, we recommend that you go to the Search Engine at Google Websearch at www.google.com. This is a good site for searching for financing. In addition, you may want to contact both your city and county offices of economic development to see what assistance is offered. The Program Number 11.800 relates to cooperative agreements between MBDA and organizations to operate our MBDCs/NABDCs. These cooperative agreements are awarded competitively for one year, with two-one year renewal options based upon performance. We thank you again for your interest and we wish you success in your endeavors. MBDA

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