Association urges accreditation of SBA’s WBCs

      The SBA’s Women’s Business Centers would benefit from an accreditation program to reduce regulatory and grant compliance inconsistencies and inefficiencies, Corinne Hodges, CEO of the Association of Women’s Business Centers, said on behalf of the organization at a May 19 congressional hearing.

      The goal is to establish national standards for client service, management and operations for the WBCs. The association is urging the SBA to double the grants to WBCs to $300,000, from $150,000; improve communication with SBA; and automate and streamline financial reporting, among other goals.

Read more:
AWBC Testimony: https://bit.ly/2SHTT8C

VA firm pretends to be woman-owned in fraud

      Montage Inc.’s owner Sina Moayedi was arrested in Castleton, VA on charges of bribery and fraud in relation to approximately $100 million in construction contracts for the State Dept. Among the charges is that he falsely claimed his firm is woman-owned.

Read more:
US Attorney's Office press release: https://bit.ly/3yV14e3

Inside this edition:

Biden aims to raise federal buys from SDBs by $100B over 5 yrs

“Emerging Large Business” in CIO-SP4

2-yr trend of reduced small biz set-asides continued in FY2020

Doss is new deputy at SBA

TMF has $1B available for IT modernizations

DOD to boost debriefings

8(a) STARS III awards in June

Gov-named HUBZ in IL

Column: Return to Work -- Employer-Mandated COVID Vaccination Policies

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Coronavirus Update