State Small Business Credit Initiative 

Investing in America Small Business Opportunity Program 

(SSBCI Investing in America SBOP)

Pre-Application Webinar II

January 17, 2024 @ 4:00 pm Eastern Time
2

SSBCI Overview

1. Introduction

2. Summary

3. The Investing in America Agenda

4. Program Overview

a) FAQs

b) Key Dates/Milestones

c) NOFO at a Glance

d) Competition Overview

e) Application Information

f) Application Submission

g) Review and Selection Process, and Evaluation Criteria

h) Award

5. Upcoming Events

6. Resources and References

7. Q&A

Webinar Disclaimer

This presentation does not contain the full text of the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the SSBCI Investing in America 

SBOP. Before applying, eligible applicants should thoroughly review the NOFO (see link or scan QR code above), as well as 

FAQs and other guidance published on Treasury’s website.

Agenda

Scan QR Code for NOFO
3

SSBCI Overview

❖Jeffrey Stout, SSBCI Director

❖Jamie Lipsey, Senior Policy Advisor

❖Karyn Bruggeman, Senior Policy Advisor

❖Peter Gillen, Program Manager

❖Terrie Riley, Grants Manager

❖Carmen Reed, Grants Manager

❖Terry Valladares, Program Manager (contract support)

SSBCI Technical Assistance (TA) Program Team
4

SSBCI Overview

Funding opportunity: $75 million in discretionary grants of $5 to $10 million for technical assistance to 

underserved and businesses with fewer than 10 employees. Eligible 

applicants include states, territories, and Tribal governments. Eligible uses include 

legal, accounting, and financial advisory services. See NOFO here.

Program goals: 1. Connect eligible businesses to financing

2. Reach sectors related to the Investing In America agenda (CHIPS, BIL, IRA)

3. Incentivize innovative partnerships

4. Scale programs with non-federal match

Application Portal: Expected to open for application submission in Spring 2024

Deadline: 60 calendar days after application portal opens

Updates: PDF of draft application (application materials)*

FAQ document

SBOP one-pager

*Publication of this draft version of the application does not open the application submission window or start the 60-calendar 

day application deadline clock referenced in the NOFO.

Summary

Investing In America Small Business Opportunity Program
5

SSBCI Overview

President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda includes legislation that is mobilizing historic levels of public and 

private investments in infrastructure, manufacturing, and clean energy, and together present an opportunity to 

ensure new projects build wealth and opportunity for underserved entrepreneurs and small business owners. 

The Investing in America Agenda

Learn More

Office of Capital Access 

U.S. Treasury

Build.gov 

The White House

CHIPS for America 

NIST

CleanEnergy.gov 

The White House

American Rescue Plan

$1.9T for local governments, schools, 

broadband, housing, small business, 

public health & more

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

$550B in new funding for roads, airports, 

ports, mass transit, water, broadband, 

and climate resiliency

Inflation Reduction Act

Funding to incentivize clean energy 

manufacturing, batteries/EVs, clean 

power, and climate resiliency

CHIPS and Science Act

Private companies have announced 

$234B for semiconductors and 

electronics
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SSBCI Overview

• Through the SSBCI Investing in America SBOP, which is a competitive grant 

program, Treasury intends to award grant funding to support programs that propose 

innovative and high-impact models for delivering TA in the areas of legal, 

accounting, and financial advisory services (TA services) to very small businesses 

(VSBs) and businesses owned and controlled by socially and economically 

disadvantaged individuals (SEDI-owned businesses), as defined in the NOFO, 

particularly those in the infrastructure, manufacturing, and clean energy space. 

• VSBs and SEDI-owned businesses applying for jurisdiction SSBCI capital programs 

and other federal or other jurisdiction small business programs are collectively referred 

to as “eligible beneficiaries.” 

• This program is related to and supports the SSBCI Capital Program and the 

allocation formula-based SSBCI TA Grant Program.

Program Overview
7

SSBCI Overview

Overall, SSBCI supports small businesses and entrepreneurship in communities across the country by 

providing capital and technical assistance to promote small business stability, growth, and success. 

The following programs are under the SSBCI authorization and statute:

Overview of SSBCI Capital and Technical Assistance Programs

Program Name Overview Application Deadline

SSBCI Capital Program

Provides funding to states, the District of Columbia, territories, and Tribal 

governments to expand access to capital for small businesses emerging 

from the pandemic, build ecosystems of opportunity and entrepreneurship, 

and create high-quality jobs.

Deadline passed

SSBCI TA Grant Program

Allocation formula-based grant program that funds the provision of TA LAF 

services to eligible small businesses applying for SSBCI funding and other 

government small business programs.

Deadline passed

Investing in America SBOP

Competitive grant program seeking to provide grant funding to applications 

that propose innovative and high-impact models for delivering TA LAF 

services to underserved and VSBs. 

Application opens: 

Spring 2024

MBDA Capital Readiness Program Competitive grant program that funds technical assistance to help minority 

and other underserved entrepreneurs grow and scale their businesses Deadline passed
8

SSBCI Overview Key Dates/ Milestones

NOFO 

Posted 

Oct 25

PreApplication 

Webinar I

Nov 6

Draft PDF 

Application 

Posted to 

UST Website

Jan 12, 2024

Application 

Portal Opened

Spring 2024

(est.)

Application 

Webinars

Spring 2024

(est.)

Applications 

Due

60 calendar 

days after 

portal opens

Awards 

Issued

Summer/

Fall 2024 

(est.)

PreApplication 

Webinar II

Jan 17, 2024
9

SSBCI Overview

• How is the SSBCI Investing in America SBOP different from the SSBCI TA 

Grant Program awards that are already being distributed to eligible recipients? 

The existing SSBCI TA Grant Program is an allocation formula-based grant program, which 

means that funds were allocated to all eligible jurisdictions. Under the formula TA Grant 

Program, all eligible jurisdictions that submitted complete and approvable applications are 

generally recommended for funding. Treasury works closely with jurisdictions throughout the 

award approval process. 

Unlike the formula TA Grant Program, the SSBCI Investing in America SBOP is a competitive 

grant program, which means that complete and timely applications from eligible applicants 

are evaluated based on the criteria specified in the NOFO, and only certain applicants will be 

selected for funding. Out of fairness to all applicants, Treasury staff cannot provide strategic 

assistance to prospective applicants and anticipates answering common applicant 

questions via publication of updates to the FAQs. 

Frequently Asked Questions
10

SSBCI Overview

• What are some examples of opportunities resulting from or aligned with 

investments under recent federal legislation?

As noted above, one objective of the SSBCI Investing in America SBOP is to support eligible 

businesses as they connect and scale into opportunities resulting from or aligned with investments 

under new federal legislation. Examples of such opportunities are: 

✓ Business opportunities related to BIL include high-speed internet expansion, road 

construction, airport modernization, power grid updates, and public transit expansion, all of 

which may include construction, engineering, installation, and manufacturing work.

✓ Business opportunities related to CHIPS include fabrication of semi-conductors, including the 

related supply chain logistics and needed service providers. 

✓ Business opportunities related to the IRA include the development or installation of renewable 

energy technologies; building weatherization and energy efficiency services; and manufacturing of 

batteries, solar, and wind parts and the development of technologies like carbon capture systems 

and electrolyzers to make hydrogen, all of which may include construction, engineering, 

manufacturing, supply chain, and logistics work. 

Frequently Asked Questions
11

SSBCI Overview Frequently Asked Questions

• How directly must programs align with federal investments?

Through the SSBCI Investing in America SBOP, Treasury seeks to advance 

programs that “support eligible businesses as they connect and scale into 

opportunities resulting from or aligned with investments under federal 

legislation” (see Section A.3 of the NOFO). Treasury expects that the 

strongest applications will identify specific opportunities to connect 

businesses to capital needed to participate in an existing economic 

development cluster or to participate in manufacturing, supply chain, or 

contracting opportunities, particularly including opportunities generated by 

recent federal legislation (see the evaluation criteria in Section E.1 of the 

NOFO).
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SSBCI Overview

• Must applicants develop new programs and partnerships for SSBCI, or may 

they apply to expand work on existing programs and partnerships?

There is no requirement in the SSBCI Investing in America SBOP NOFO that an applicant 

propose a new program or new partnerships. An applicant may propose an expansion of 

existing work with existing partners. However, please review the evaluation criteria in Section 

E.1 of the NOFO carefully; one application criterion is how the application effectively 

provides TA for SEDI-owned businesses and VSBs and identifies how the proposed project 

will improve outcomes from prior efforts. 

For example, if an applicant proposes to expand work under existing programs or 

partnerships, the applicant may wish to describe what it will do differently to effectively reach 

SEDI-owned businesses and VSBs, which may include such as engaging new partners 

and/or developing a new outreach strategy. 

Frequently Asked Questions
13

SSBCI Overview

• Our jurisdiction does not currently have relevant TA programs in place, can it 

still apply for a grant under the SSBCI Investing in America SBOP? 

Yes. There is no requirement that a jurisdiction have relevant TA programs in 

place to be eligible to apply for a grant under this program. Please review the 

evaluation criteria in Section E.1 of the NOFO carefully. 

• Our jurisdiction is relatively small. Can we compete with larger jurisdictions that 

have established programs?

Treasury will take into consideration the geographic coverage of awards, 

including a diversity of service area types, and whether potential recipients 

represent a range of sizes (by jurisdiction population) and poverty rates. 

Frequently Asked Questions
14

SSBCI Overview

Program Summary

Type of awards: Discretionary grants

Estimated total program funding: $75 million

Estimated award ceiling: $10 million*

Estimated award floor: $5 million*

Estimated number of awards: 8 to 15

Period of performance: Up to 36 months (3 years) **

Application deadline: 60 calendar days from the date the application is available***

Application submission: must be via the forthcoming UST portal at 

https://portal.treasury.gov/cares/s/ssbci-home-page

*Treasury anticipates that larger awards will have a regional focus that involves collaboration between jurisdictions. The ranges are provided only 

for your information and may prove useful for planning purposes. Actual amounts awarded may be higher or lower, based on availability of funds.

**The length of the period of performance should be based on the assessed needs of the jurisdiction’s eligible small businesses and must be 

clearly articulated in all budget documents.

***Treasury will publish a separate notification when the program application is published that specifies the application deadline and will update 

the NOFO accordingly.

The Competitive NOFO at a Glance
15

SSBCI Overview

• An application will receive more points in the review process if it:

✓ Includes high-quality existing or proposed collaborations with project partners, which may include 

other jurisdictions, cities, or other political subdivisions, educational institutions, community-serving 

organizations, and industry stakeholders

✓ Leverages public or private cash matching commitments that will contribute to successful 

outcomes and project long-term sustainability

✓ Is designed to serve eligible small businesses on a regional basis as described in the NOFO.

• Recipients may make subawards to other organizations to act in an administrative role. Please review 

the NOFO carefully for requirements applicable to TA providers, which must be either jurisdiction entities 

or legal, accounting, or financial advisory firms (LAF firms). 

NOFO Key Points
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SSBCI Overview

Eligible applicants include:

1. Any jurisdiction that has been approved as a participating jurisdiction in the SSBCI Capital 

Program. 

2. Jurisdictions that are not yet approved as participating jurisdictions in the SSBCI Capital Program, but 

that have submitted complete and timely SSBCI Capital Program applications (or are part of a 

joint Tribal government application), are also eligible to apply; however, to receive an SSBCI Investing 

in America SBOP award, a jurisdiction must be approved as a participating jurisdiction in the SSBCI 

Capital Program. 

3. Groups of Tribal governments may apply jointly (i.e., in consortia). 

4. States, territories, and the District of Columbia may not apply jointly, but an application from these 

applicants or from Tribal governments will receive more points if the TA program is designed to serve 

eligible small businesses on a regional basis as described in the NOFO. See Section C.1 and the 

“Project Reach” evaluation criterion in Section E.1 of the NOFO.

• The NOFO describes 4 ways an applicant may be considered for regional collaboration points. 

Competition Overview – Eligible Applicants
17

SSBCI Overview

Eligible beneficiaries (i.e., businesses eligible to receive TA services under 

this program) are VSBs and SEDI-owned businesses that are applying 

for a jurisdiction’s SSBCI Capital Program or other federal or other 

jurisdiction small business program. VSBs and SEDI-owned businesses 

are defined in the NOFO Section A.2 – Key Terms.

Some businesses may qualify as both VSBs and SEDI-owned 

businesses. A recipient can consider these businesses as VSBs, 

SEDI-owned businesses, or both for all purposes for grants made under 

the SSBCI Investing In America SBOP NOFO.

Competition Overview – Eligible Beneficiaries
18

SSBCI Overview

A recipient may:

1. Provide TA services itself under an award,

2. Make a subaward for an entity of the recipient (e.g., a state agency or 

government corporation) or an LAF firm to provide TA services under an 

award, 

3. Contract with third-party LAF firms to provide TA services, or 

4. Make a subaward to a non-federal entity (as defined at 2 CFR § 200.1) 

that is not an entity of the recipient (e.g., a state entity or other jurisdiction 

entity) or LAF firm, if the subrecipient acts in an administrative role and will 

contract with or make subawards to jurisdiction entities or LAF firms that 

serve as TA providers.

See Section C.3 of the NOFO. 

Competition Overview – Eligible TA Providers
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SSBCI Overview

Funds are for the provision of legal, accounting, and financial 

advisory services (i.e., TA services) intended to help eligible 

beneficiaries applying for SSBCI capital or for other federal or other 

jurisdiction programs that support small businesses. Such services 

include a wide variety of assistance throughout the business life cycle. 

A list of example TA services can be found in Section C.4 of the 

NOFO.

Competition Overview – Eligible TA Services
20

SSBCI Overview

• Non-federal matching funds (also referred to as cost sharing or third-party funds) are not required 

under the SSBCI Investing in America SBOP; however, applicants are encouraged to demonstrate an 

ability to leverage additional sources of funding to increase the impact of the award.

o Examples of matching fund sources could include commitments from businesses, non-profits, 

including philanthropic partners, and the jurisdiction’s own non-federal funds.

• Any proposed matching funds must be:

✓ Cash; 

✓ Included in the project budget; and 

✓ Available at the time of award, committed to the project, and not encumbered in any way 

that would preclude their use for the applicant’s proposed project. 

• In-kind contributions are prohibited as match under the SSBCI Investing in America SBOP.

Competition Overview – Non-Federal Matching Funds
21

SSBCI Overview

• Applications that can demonstrate how the use of matching funds will be leveraged in 

conjunction with SSBCI Investing in America SBOP grant funds to make a significant impact in 

providing needed TA services to eligible small businesses will be prioritized in the 

application evaluation criteria. Refer to the Section E.1 of the NOFO (Budget and Timeline 

evaluation criterion). 

• If an applicant proposes matching funds in the project budget, all such funds must be 

documented by a letter of commitment from each provider of the funds, as applicable, that 

clearly:

o States the amount; and 

o States or evidences that the funds are available, committed, and unencumbered. 

• Matching funds that do not have corresponding letters of commitment will not be considered 

in the application review process. See also Slide 31 of this presentation. 

Competition Overview – Non-Federal Matching Funds (cont.)
22

SSBCI Overview Application Information

Application Documents

i Applicant Letter of Designation

ii Delegation of Authority and Joint Tribal Application Designation Documentation (if applicable)

iii Program Design and Substance

iv Budget Narrative (using the budget categories of Form SF-424A “Budget Information – NonConstruction Programs”)

v Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement/Cost Allocation Plan (if applicable)

vi Form SF-LLL “Disclosure of Lobbying Activities” (if applicable)

vii Assurances of Compliance with Civil Rights Requirements

viii SSBCI Investing in America SBOP Assurances and Certifications 

ix Other Supporting Documentation (if applicable) 

Summary of the application elements
23

SSBCI Overview Application Information – Designation Documents

i. Applicant Letter of Designation

The eligible applicant, which may be a specific department, agency, or political subdivision of the 

relevant jurisdiction, will be required to submit a designation letter on official letterhead signed 

by the governor of the state, mayor of the District of Columbia, or governing official of the territory 

or Tribal government stating or evidencing that they have designated the eligible applicant to do 

the actions listed in Section D.2.b.i. of the NOFO on behalf of the jurisdiction. 

ii. Delegation of Authority and Joint Tribal Application Designation 

Documentation (if applicable)

If the Authorized Official named in the application has delegated the authority to another 

official of the applicant jurisdiction to certify and electronically sign the application on behalf of 

the jurisdiction, documentation evidencing the delegation of authority must be submitted to 

Treasury on official letterhead. In addition, joint Tribal applications require additional information. 

The forthcoming application template (which will be posted on Treasury’s website) will provide 

additional information on both requirements. 
24

SSBCI Overview iii. Program Design and Substance

• The Program Design and Substance is the section of the application where applicants should detail their project 

plan for providing TA services to eligible beneficiaries. 

• It should be a maximum of 15 total pages (12-point font, one-inch margins), including any exhibits or 

attachments. Material beyond 15 pages will not be read or considered.

Content and Structure

To be considered complete, the Program Design and Substance must include the following sections:

• Executive Summary (up to one page)

• Description of Project Service Area and Potential to Connect Eligible Beneficiaries to Opportunities

• Proposed Solution

• Key Partners and Project Support

• Organizational Capacity and Experience

• Performance Goals and Measures

For more information about the specific information that should be contained in each section of the Program 

Design and Substance, please refer to section D.2.b.iii.b of the NOFO.
25

SSBCI Overview iv. Budget Narrative

Applicants must:

• Provide a budget narrative using Treasury’s budget narrative template, which will be posted 

on Treasury’s website. 

• Identify and explain how funds in each line item of the budget will be used to support the 

proposed project. Reviewers will consider whether the budget aligns with the proposed 

project.

• Provide specific justification for all budget categories that apply, including eligible direct 

cost categories (i.e., personnel, fringe benefits, travel, equipment, supplies, contractual, 

and other), eligible indirect costs, and program income.

• Explain the necessity, allowability, reasonableness, and allocability of proposed costs in 

accordance with 2 CFR Part 200 Subpart E and other program guidance, including 

Section D.2.b.iv of the NOFO.
26

SSBCI Overview iv. Budget Narrative (cont.)

• Each cost category should be treated consistently in like circumstances as direct or indirect 

costs. Do not double-count any costs as both direct and indirect costs.

• Do not repeat information provided in the Program Design and Substance section, but provide 

additional detail needed to understand the amounts allocated to each budget line item. 

• Include the computation for each budget line item.

• Clearly identify any non-federal matching funds committed to the proposed project.
27

SSBCI Overview iv. Budget Narrative (cont.)

Unallowable Costs (expenses that will not be funded)

• The same unallowable costs identified across the different budget categories are also unallowable under 

subawards. 

• Note that unallowable costs listed below are typically unallowable no matter which category they are 

placed under.

Unallowable Personnel Costs – If your organization charges an indirect cost, those costs normally include 

certain positions, and therefore these positions should not be charged as personnel costs to avoid 

possible duplication.

Unallowable Fringe Benefits – If an applicant’s indirect cost rate agreement includes fringe benefits, these 

costs may not be charged directly to the project.

Unallowable Travel – these include but are not limited to alcoholic beverages, costs exceeding the FTR in 

the absence of an organizational travel policy, credit card fees, entertainment, and foreign travel.
28

SSBCI Overview iv. Budget Narrative (cont.)

Unallowable Supplies – these include but are not limited to conference or event swag, including T-shirts, 

bags, or mugs, promotional items and memorabilia, shared items between projects (these should be captured 

in your indirect costs or charged based on the percentage allocation to this project). 

Unallowable Contractual Costs – these include but are not limited to compensation of federal employees, 

building-based construction costs, and costs required for the establishment or reorganization of a recipient, 

subrecipient, or contractor under an award.

Unallowable Other Costs – these include but are not limited to advertising and public relations designed 

solely to promote the recipient, costs for audits not required or performed in accordance with the Single Audit 

Act or 2 CFR Part 200 Subpart F, and membership fees to organizations whose primary activity is lobbying.
29

SSBCI Overview Application Information – Other Documents

v. Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement/Cost Allocation Plan (if applicable)

If indirect costs are proposed in the budget, such costs must be supported by either a current federally 

approved Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA) or, if the applicant does not have a current NICRA 

and receives less than $35 million in direct federal funding per year, the applicant may elect to use the de 

minimis indirect cost rate, 10 percent of modified total direct costs (MTDC), as defined at 2 CFR § 200.414(f).

vi. Form SF-LLL “Disclosure of Lobbying Activities” (if applicable)

Form SF-LLL is required for an applicant to disclose any lobbying activities. If an applicant does not have any 

lobbying activities to disclose, Form SF-LLL is not a required submission.
30

SSBCI Overview Application Information – Other Documents

vii. Assurances of Compliance with Civil Rights Requirements

• If approved, recipients must comply with legal requirements related to nondiscrimination and nondiscriminatory use of 

federal funds, where such laws are applicable to a recipient and any subrecipient or contractor operating program 

activities on the recipient’s behalf. 

• All state, D.C., and territory applicants must download, review, and have the Authorized Official sign the assurances of 

compliance with civil rights requirements form (which will be made available in Treasury’s forthcoming portal or on 

Treasury’s website).

• Any state, the District of Columbia, or territory that is recommended for funding under this NOFO will be 

required to undergo a Title VI of the Civil Rights Act pre-award compliance review before being funded and be 

required to complete a Title VI Narrative form that will be separately provided by Treasury.

✓ Applicants may, but are not required, to submit a Title VI Narrative form with the application.
31

SSBCI Overview Application Information – Other Documents (cont.)

viii. SSBCI Investing in America SBOP Assurances and Certifications 

All applicants must review, sign, and submit the SSBCI Investing in America SBOP Assurances and 

Certifications which will be included with the application and will become part of the grant agreement.

ix. a. Letter(s) of Matching Funds Commitment (if applicable)

If matching funds are proposed in the project budget, they must be documented by a letter of commitment from 

each provider of the funds, as applicable, that clearly:

✓ States the amount; and 

✓ States or evidences that the funds are available, committed, and unencumbered.

Matching funds that do not have corresponding letters of commitment will not be considered in the application 

review process.
32

SSBCI Overview Application Information – Other Documents (cont.)

ix. b. Optional Programmatic Supporting Documentation – Letters of Regional Coordination 

and/or Letters of Partnership 

Applicants may provide documents that substantiate elements of their application and their ability to 

successfully execute the project. These documents may include:

✓ Letters from other jurisdictions, including municipalities, demonstrating a plan to coordinate on a 

regional approach (as consistent with NOFO Section C.1); and 

✓ Letters of partnership support, which detail the specific roles and responsibilities of engaged project 

partners
33

SSBCI Overview

registration:

• All applicants must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) and provide a valid 

Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) in the application. Applicants may visit SAM.gov to complete the 

registration and obtain an UEI. 

• If you have already registered on SAM.gov, please log on to SAM.gov and confirm that your registration 

is active with current information and that a UEI has been assigned to the applicant. 

• Please also see Section D.3 of the NOFO for more information on UEI requirements and SAM.gov.

Creating an account for Treasury Portal access:

• An applicant must create an ID.me account to apply through Treasury’s Portal under the SSBCI 

Investing in America SBOP. 

• To get started, visit Treasury’s ID.me “Create Account” page. 

Application Submission
34

SSBCI Overview

• Applications must be submitted through Treasury’s forthcoming Portal, which 

will be available at https://portal.treasury.gov/cares/s/ssbci-home-page. 

• Treasury will not accept paper, facsimile, or e-mail transmissions of 

applications unless the means of alternate submission has been approved in 

writing by Treasury prior to the application deadline. 

• For technical support with Treasury’s Portal, please e-mail 

SSBCI_information@treasury.gov.

Application Submission Portal
35

SSBCI Overview

Clarification from applicants

Throughout the review and selection process, Treasury reserves the right to seek clarification from applicants whose 

applications are being reviewed. Treasury may ask applicants to clarify application materials, objectives, and scope of work, or

modify budgets or other specifics necessary to comply with federal requirements and the amount of available funding.

Review and Selection Process

Eligibility & 

Completeness

Review

Merit Review

Senior 

Leadership 

Review

Chief 

Program 

Officer’s 

Selection

Due Diligence

➢ Applications from ineligible 

entities will not be 

considered

➢ Incomplete applications 

may be deemed nonresponsive

➢ Merit reviewers will 

evaluate applications 

against the evaluation 

criteria

➢ Each application will be 

reviewed by at least 3 merit 

reviewers

➢ Highly ranked applications will 

be forwarded to seniorranking federal employees 

➢ Senior leadership may 

determine not to recommend 

a high-ranking application 

based on the results of the 

risk review

➢ All final award 

decisions are 

anticipated to be made 

by the Chief Program 

Officer of Treasury’s 

Office of Recovery 

Programs or delegate

➢ Applicants preliminarily 

identified to receive 

grant funding may be 

required to complete 

certain due diligence 

requirements
36

SSBCI Overview

• Submitted applications will be reviewed 

and scored competitively against 4 main 

criteria. 

• Each criterion is given a weight, based on 

the points listed. 

• Merit reviewers will respond to prompts 

for the scoring factors under each 

criterion by indicating the extent to which 

they agree with the statement as it 

applies to the application, from “strongly 

disagree” (1 point) to “strongly agree” (5 

points).

Evaluation Criteria

Proposed Goals 

and Proposed 

Solutions 

40 points total

Includes 4 scoring 

factors

Organizational 

Capacity 

30 points total

Includes 2 scoring 

factors

Budget and 

Timeline 

25 points total

Includes 3 scoring 

factors

Project Reach 

10 points

Includes 1 scoring 

factor

105 

Points
37

SSBCI Overview Evaluation Criteria (cont.)

Proposed Goals and Proposed Solutions (40 points total)

To what extent do you agree that the application identifies specific TA opportunities to connect 

businesses to capital needed to participate in an existing economic development cluster or to 

participate in manufacturing, supply chain, or contracting opportunities, particularly including 

opportunities generated by recent federal legislation?

15 points

To what extent do you agree that the application’s outreach strategy and partners credibly address 

the opportunities identified? 10 points

To what extent do you agree that the application effectively provides TA for SEDI-owned businesses 

and VSBs and identifies how the proposed project will improve outcomes from prior efforts to 

increase such businesses’ ability to secure financing and business opportunities

10 points

To what extent do you agree that the application includes high-quality existing or proposed 

collaborations with project partners, which may include other jurisdictions, cities, or other political 

subdivisions, educational institutions, community-serving organizations, and industry stakeholders 

(e.g., companies, suppliers, and service providers)

5 points

Scoring factors for reviewers to consider
38

SSBCI Overview Evaluation Criteria (cont.)

Organizational Capacity (30 points total)

To what extent do you agree that the applicant and TA providers have the capacity to execute the 

plan presented? 20 points

To what extent do you agree that the TA providers have the capacity to provide services in a 

linguistically and culturally relevant manner? 10 points

Scoring factors for reviewers to consider

Budget and Timeline (25 points total)

To what extent do you agree that the budget line items appear to be reasonable, allowable, and 

allocable to the proposed project? 5 points

To what extent do you agree that the budget narrative appears to be feasible and aligns with the 

activities described in the Program Design and Substance section of the application? 10 points

To what extent do you agree that the application is supported by leveraged public or private matching 

fund commitments that will contribute to successful outcomes and project long-term sustainability? 10 points
39

SSBCI Overview Evaluation Criteria (cont.)

Scoring factors for reviewers to consider

.

Project Reach (10 points total)

To what extent do you agree that the proposed project will result in a regional economic benefit 

beyond the reach of the applicant’s standard jurisdiction? 10 points
40

SSBCI Overview

• If an application is selected for funding, Treasury will issue a Notice of Award (NoA) document 

that includes the award terms and conditions and any special award conditions applicable 

to the award, including any specific conditions imposed on the recipient’s award because of a 

pre-award risk assessment. 

• The applicant’s Authorized Representative must review and accept the award agreement without 

modification within the specified timeframe indicated in the NoA. Otherwise, Treasury may 

irrevocably withdraw the grant without any additional notification to the applicant.

• If an applicant is awarded funding, Treasury is not under any obligation to provide any 

additional future funding in connection with the award or to make any future awards. 

Amendment or renewal of an award to increase the grant funding or to extend the period of 

performance is at the discretion of Treasury. 

Notice of Award
41

SSBCI Overview

It is anticipated that awards will be announced in or after 

summer 2024. 

Award notification will be sent electronically via email.

Any public announcements on awardees will be posted on 

Treasury’s website.

Treasury will provide written notice to all applicants informing 

them whether their application was selected for funding.

All award decisions are final and not subject to appeal.

Award Notification
42

SSBCI Overview

Winter 2023/2024 – We intend to host application webinars and portal demos to 

discuss the application package and how to submit applications via the Treasury 

Portal. 

Winter/Spring 2024 – We intend to host office hours sessions to respond to 

questions on the application package and portal submission. 

Dates and times for the events above will be shared with jurisdictions and 

interested parties/stakeholders in advance and a registration link provided.

Upcoming Events to Note
Resources/References

SSBCI Investing in America SBOP

➢ Competitive NOFO

➢ FAQ document

➢ SBOP one-pager

➢ PDF of draft application (application materials)

➢ Assistance Listing 21.034

➢ Authorizing Authority: The statutory authority for the SSBCI Investing in America SBOP is section 

3009(e)(1) of the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 (SSBCI statute), as added by section 3301(d) of the 

American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) and codified at 12 U.S.C. § 5708(e)(1)

➢ Appropriation Authority: This program is funded by section 3301(a)(2) of ARPA.

➢ Additional Resources:

• SSBCI Capital Program Policy Guidelines

• Technical Assistance Grant Program Reporting Guidance

• 2 CFR § 200 – Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for 

Federal Awards

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SSBCI Overview

• Please submit relevant questions using the meeting 

chat feature.

• In case we are unable to answer all questions, or if 

you have a follow-up question, please email 

SSBCI_Information@treasury.gov with the subject 

line SSBCI Investing in America SBOP.

• Questions related to the strategic aspects of project 

creation cannot be answered during the application 

stage, out of fairness to all applicants. We 

anticipate addressing common questions via 

publication of FAQs on Treasury’s website.

Q&A Session