Discovery tool, not advice. Every figure is the published rule, not a decision on your case.

Credits and in-kind

Minority Business Development Agency Business Center Program

MBDA Business Center Program (including the Rural Business Center Program)

Status

Status not published

MBDA Rural Business Center Program FY2026: 'Due June 29, 2026, by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time'; project period approximately 1 September 2026 - 31 August 2029. Other Business Center competitions are announced periodically on grants.gov.

Check with the funder

Amount

$3,000,000

Figures shown are for the FY2026 MBDA Rural Business Center Program NOFO: 'approximately $14,500,000 for 5 - 7 awards' with individual awards of 'approximately $2,250,000 to $3,000,000' over a three-year project period, requiring '20% of the total amount of Federal funding' in non-federal cost share. These are cooperative agreements to the organisations that run the centres. Individual businesses receive free advisory services, not cash. MBDA's earlier $125 million Capital Readiness Program (43 awardees) is closed to new applications.

You must co-fund 20%.

Funder

Minority Business Development Agency, U.S. Department of Commerce

public · national

Deadline: annual_call — MBDA Rural Business Center Program FY2026: 'Due June 29, 2026, by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time'; project period approximately 1 September 2026 - 31 August 2029. Other Business Center competitions are announced periodically on grants.gov.

Your odds

Not published

This funder does not publish a success rate. We rank it using the rate observed across similar programmes and label it as an estimate rather than implying we know.

Effort

moderate

Moderate — a form and supporting documents.

You fund 20% yourself.

Who can apply

Stage: idea, pre_seed, seed, growth
Locally registered entity required

IMPORTANT: MBDA does not make cash grants to individual businesses. Grants and cooperative agreements go to host organisations (for the FY2026 Rural Business Center Program, eligible applicants are 'Institutions of higher education' meeting specific criteria - HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribal colleges - or consortia led by such institutions), which then deliver free business consulting, capital access and contracting support to minority and underserved business enterprises. Applicant organisations must be registered in SAM.gov with a Unique Entity ID.

How to apply

As a minority-owned business seeking help, find and contact your nearest MBDA Business Center - services are free at point of use. — link
As an organisation wishing to operate a centre, register in SAM.gov (UEI) and Grants.gov and monitor MBDA NOFOs. — link
Submit the cooperative agreement application with the required non-federal cost share by the deadline.

What you will need

Project narrative and operating plan for the centre
Evidence of non-federal cost share (20% of federal funding for the Rural Business Center Program)
SAM.gov registration with UEI

Apply on the funder's site

Source. https://files.simpler.grants.gov/opportunities/dfeeab1b-cc40-475c-b5c4-73836f302dea/attachments/239f1af7-a203-40d7-bd7b-7c85e63a95b8/RBC_MBDA_FINAL_OMB-FALD-May_26_2026-CLEAN_05282026.pdf — checked 2026-08-14

"approximately $14,500,000 for 5 - 7 awards ... approximately $2,250,000 to $3,000,000 ... Due June 29, 2026, by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time"