I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2686 
To codify the Small Business Administration’s Growth Accelerator Fund 
Competition, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 25, 2017 
Mr. ESPAILLAT introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Small Business 
A BILL 
To codify the Small Business Administration’s Growth 
Accelerator Fund Competition, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. GROWTH ACCELERATOR FUND COMPETITION. 
The Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 631 et seq.) is 
amended— 
(1) by redesignating section 47 as section 48; 
and 
(2) by inserting after section 46 the following: 
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‘‘SEC. 47. GROWTH ACCELERATOR FUND COMPETITION. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—There is established a program 
within the Small Business Administration to be known as 
the ‘Growth Accelerator Fund Competition’, under which 
the Administrator shall award prizes competitively to cov-
ered entities that— 
‘‘(1) assist small business concerns access cap-
ital, mentors, and networking opportunities; and 
‘‘(2) advise small business concerns, including 
advising on market analysis, company strategy, rev-
enue growth, and securing funding. 
‘‘(b) PRIZE COMPETITION.—Except as otherwise pro-
vided in this section, the Administrator shall carry out the 
program established under this section in accordance with 
the requirements of section 24 of the Stevenson-Wydler 
Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3719). 
‘‘(c) APPLICATION.—A prize only may be awarded to 
a covered entity that submits to the Administrator an ap-
plication at such time, in such manner, and containing 
such information as the Administrator may require. 
‘‘(d) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible to apply for a prize 
under this section, a covered entity— 
‘‘(1) may not have an outstanding, unresolved 
financial obligation to the Federal Government; and 
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‘‘(2) may not be currently suspended or 
debarred as specified in subpart 9.4 of title 48, Code 
of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulation). 
‘‘(e) SELECTION OF SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS.— 
A covered entity that receives a prize under this section 
shall use a selective process to identify small business con-
cerns to assist and advise under the Growth Accelerator 
Fund Competition. 
‘‘(f) SELECTION OF COVERED ENTITIES.—From ap-
plications submitted under subsection (c), the Adminis-
trator shall select covered entities that will provide to 
small business concerns identified under subsection (e)— 
‘‘(1) regular networking opportunities, including 
introductions to customers, partners, suppliers, advi-
sory boards and others persons; 
‘‘(2) mentorship opportunities, including advice 
on advice on strategy, technology, finances, and 
commercialization assistance; 
‘‘(3) shared working environments focused on 
building a strong community amongst other similar 
small business concerns; 
‘‘(4) resources and co-working arrangements; 
‘‘(5) opportunities to pitch ideas to investors 
and other capital formation opportunities; 
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‘‘(6) small amounts of angel money, seed cap-
ital, or structured loans; and 
‘‘(7) where appropriate, assistance in securing 
funding under the SBIR program or the STTR pro-
gram established under section 9. 
‘‘(g) PRIORITY.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator, in ap-
proving applications under this section, shall give 
priority to applications that include methods to pro-
vide services to underserved communities, such as 
women, veterans, and economically disadvantaged in-
dividuals. 
‘‘(2) ALLOCATION.—Of prizes awarded to cov-
ered entities under this section in a fiscal year, the 
Administrator shall ensure that— 
‘‘(A) not less than 20 percent of such cov-
ered entities will assist and advise small busi-
ness concerns owned and controlled by women; 
and 
‘‘(B) not less than 20 percent of such cov-
ered entities will assist and advise small busi-
ness concerns owned and controlled by socially 
and economically disadvantaged individuals de-
fined in section 8(d)(3)(C). 
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‘‘(h) DEVELOPMENT
OF METRICS.—The Adminis-
trator shall develop metrics to evaluate the effectiveness 
and the benefit to the people of the United States of the 
Growth Accelerator Fund Competition that— 
‘‘(1) are science-based and statistically driven; 
‘‘(2) reflect the mission of the Administration; 
and 
‘‘(3) include factors relating to the economic 
impact of the Growth Accelerator Fund Competition. 
‘‘(i) COVERED ENTITY DEFINED.—In this section, 
the term ‘covered entity’ means a private entity that is 
incorporated in and maintains a primary place of business 
in the United States. 
‘‘(j) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator 
such sums as may be necessary to carry out the Growth 
Accelerator Fund Competition.’’. 
Æ 
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