§9013 Community Navigator Pilot Program

Summary

The Administrator of the Small Business Administration must set up a Community Navigator pilot program to pay groups that help small businesses find and use COVID‑19 relief programs. Grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements can go to private nonprofits, resource partners, States, Tribes, and local governments. The funded groups must give free outreach, education, and technical help so eligible small businesses learn about and use available federal, State, Tribal, and local aid. The law provides $100,000,000 for the pilot for fiscal year 2021, available until September 30, 2022, and another $75,000,000 for outreach and education, also available until September 30, 2022. The SBA must promote the services, run a phone hotline with referrals, do outreach in the 10 most common U.S. languages, improve its website, and run an education ad campaign. The power to make these grants ends on December 31, 2025. Definitions (one line each): Administration = Small Business Administration; Administrator = head of the SBA; community navigator services = outreach, education, and technical help; community navigator = community group, community financial institution, or private nonprofit that provides those services; eligible business = a small business, with priority for women‑owned, veteran‑owned, and socially/economically disadvantaged small businesses; private nonprofit organization = a tax‑exempt 501(c) group; resource partner = small business development centers, women’s business centers, and SCORE chapters; small business concern, State, and unit of general local government = standard legal meanings used by the SBA.