Title: To establish Growth Accelerator Fund Competition within the Small Business Administration, and for other purposes.
Policy area: Commerce

Summary:
This bill provides statutory authority for the Growth Accelerator Fund Competition program within the Small Business Administration (SBA).
Specifically, the bill requires the SBA, prioritizing small business concerns in underserved communities, to award prizes on a competitive basis to U.S. private entities that (1) assist small business concerns in accessing capital, mentors, and networking opportunities; and (2) advise small business concerns on topics such as market analysis, company strategy, revenue growth, and securing funding.
The SBA must also develop metrics to evaluate the the program's effectiveness and benefits to the people of the United States that (1) are science-based and statistically driven, (2) reflect the SBA's mission, and (3) include factors relating to the program's economic impact.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4387 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4387

   To establish Growth Accelerator Fund Competition within the Small 
            Business Administration, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 18, 2019

Mr. Espaillat (for himself and Mr. Balderson) introduced the following 
      bill; which was referred to the Committee on Small Business

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To establish Growth Accelerator Fund Competition within the Small 
            Business Administration, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. 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 of the Small Business 
Administration shall award prizes on a competitive basis to covered 
entities that--
            (1) assist small business concerns with accessing capital 
        and finding mentors and networking opportunities; and
            (2) advise small business concerns, including advising on 
        market analysis, company strategy, revenue growth, and securing 
        funding.
    (b) Requirements.--Except as otherwise provided 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 application 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
            (2) may not be currently suspended or debarred as specified 
        under subpart 9.4 of title 48, Code of Federal Regulations (or 
        any successor regulation).
    (e) Selection of Covered Entities.--From applications submitted 
under subsection (c), the Administrator shall select covered entities 
that will provide to small business concerns--
            (1) regular networking opportunities, including 
        introductions to customers, partners, suppliers, advisory 
        boards, and other persons;
            (2) mentorship opportunities, including 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;
            (6) small amounts of angel money, seed capital, or 
        structured loans; and
            (7) where appropriate, assistance in securing funding under 
        the SBIR program or the STTR program established under section 
        9 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638).
    (f) Priority.--
            (1) In general.--The Administrator, in approving 
        applications under this section, shall give priority to 
        applications that include methods to provide assistance and 
        advice to small business concerns located in underserved 
        communities, including--
                    (A) small business concerns owned and controlled by 
                women;
                    (B) small business concerns owned and controlled by 
                veterans; and
                    (C) small business concerns owned and controlled by 
                socially and economically disadvantaged individuals (as 
                defined in section 8(d)(3)(C) of the Small Business Act 
                (15 U.S.C. 637(d)(3)(C))).
            (2) Allocation.--Of prizes awarded to covered entities 
        under this section in a fiscal year, the Administrator shall 
        ensure that--
                    (A) not less than 20 percent of such covered 
                entities will assist and advise small business concerns 
                owned and controlled by women; and
                    (B) not less than 20 percent of such covered 
                entities will assist and advise small business concerns 
                owned and controlled by socially and economically 
                disadvantaged individuals.
    (g) Selection of Small Business Concerns.--A covered entity that 
receives a prize under the Growth Accelerator Fund Competition shall 
use a selective process to identify small business concerns to provide 
assistance and advice described under subsection (a).
    (h) Development of Metrics.--The Administrator 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 Small Business 
        Administration; and
            (3) include factors relating to the economic impact of the 
        Growth Accelerator Fund Competition.
    (i) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
        Administrator of the Small Business Administration.
            (2) Covered entity.--The term ``covered entity'' means a 
        private entity that is incorporated in and maintains a primary 
        place of business in the United States.
            (3) Small business act definitions.--The terms ``small 
        business concern'', ``small business concern owned and 
        controlled by women'', ``small business concern owned and 
        controlled by veterans'' have the meanings given such terms, 
        respectively, in section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 
        632).
    (j) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Administrator $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 to carry out the Growth Accelerator Fund 
Competition.
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