If you are a member of the public interested in learning more about any local environmental issues please visit our web site at www.epa.gov/region9 or contact us at (866) EPA-WEST (372-9378).  More information on eligibility and application materials: http://www.epa.gov/enviroed/grants.html

“America’s 29 million small businesses have been hard hit in this recession. Nine months ago, President Obama sent small businesses a life line: the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.  Since then, the SBA has supported more than 33,000 loans for a total of almost $13 billion in small business lending.  This has helped save or create tens of thousands of jobs.

“But there is much more work to be done, which is why President Obama today pledged his support for legislation that would increase the maximum size of some SBA loans.  Increasing maximum loan sizes will allow the SBA to ensure that more small business owners and entrepreneurs can get access to the credit they need to expand their operations and create jobs. “The President also announced additional support from the Treasury Department for smaller community lenders that are committed to increasing their lending to small businesses. Secretary Geithner and I will host a conference on small business lending with Members of Congress, regulators, lenders and the small business community.  The conference will discuss additional efforts that can be taken to provide small businesses with access to credit.  These steps, coupled with SBA’s ongoing efforts, will help small businesses grow and create jobs throughout America.”

Specifically, President Obama called for:
• Increasing the size of SBA’s 7(a) loan from $2 million to $5 million.
• Increasing the size of SBA’s 504 loan from $2 million to $5 million for standard borrowers (supporting a total project of $12.5 million) and from $4 million to $5.5 million for manufacturers (supporting a total project of $13.75 million).
• Increasing the size of SBA’s Microloan from $35,000 to $50,000.

A copy of the President’s remarks and a fact sheet on the announcement can be found at:
http://www.sba.gov/idc/groups/public/documents/sba_homepage/sba_rcvry_obama_evnt_remrks09.pdf.

A fact sheet on the proposal can be found at:
http://www.sba.gov/idc/groups/public/documents/sba_homepage/sba_rcvry_new_effort_credit_sb.pdf

This year’s theme focuses on how communities can balance the changing economic, recreational, agricultural and environmental needs for one of our most precious resources – water!

Featured Speakers

Robert Glennon, nationally-known author of the bookUnquenchable and Professor at the University of Arizona Rogers College of Law, will talk about America’s water crisis and what to do about it.  Tim Quinn, Executive Director, Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) opens the program with background on how we got to where we are today.

Event Highlights

• Local, regional and national speakers who will share their perspective on a wide range of water-related topics confronting Sacramento Valley communities.
• Sessions on flood prevention, conveyance, storage, quality, climate, conservation, and water measures that are working in Valley communities.
• Release of the Economic Indicators Report (State of the Great Central Valley Indicators Series)

This free online tutorial is a practical and easy to use guide that walks a woman-owned small business through the contracting process.  SBA is committed to ensuring that women-owned businesses receive at least 5 percent of federal contracts and believes better training opportunities are central to meeting this government-wide goal.

“Federal contracts can provide unique opportunities for women entrepreneurs and small business owners to grow their businesses and create jobs, particularly during these tough economic times,” Administrator Karen Mills said.  “It’s also a win for federal agencies, by contracting with women-owned small businesses; they are working with some of the most innovative and dynamic companies in the country.”

The SBA’s Office of Women’s Business Ownership oversees a national network of more than 100 Women’s Business Centers (WBCs) that provide education and training to help women start and grow small businesses.  In addition, the SBA has 68 district offices and other resource partners throughout the country available to train and counsel women-owned small businesses and entrepreneurs seeking government contracts.

“This online training course makes critical information and training available to an even wider array of women entrepreneurs and small business owners,” said Ana Harvey, assistant administrator for SBA’s Office of Women’s Business Ownership.  “SBA wants to help ensure they have the tools and resources they need to compete for and win federal contracts.”

The Winning Federal Contracts course is designed to help women entrepreneurs learn about the federal procurement process and to prepare them to compete for contracting opportunities.  The self-paced guide uses audio and script to provide information about contract rules, how to sell to the government and where to find contracts.

The Winning Federal Contracts course is available on SBA’s Web site at www.sba.gov or directly at www.sba.gov/fedcontractingtraining.  It is indexed by subject matter, and includes direct links to additional contracting resources.

During the webinar, small business owners and business experts will discuss
how to innovate in a live interactive session utilizing videos, online polling and
a Q&A session.  Several small businesses included in the webinar demonstrate
how using innovative ideas have helped them to thrive.  They are:

• The Thunder Show of Springfield, N.J., – See how a young wine retailer is
using YouTube and other social networks to reach 20-somethings
• Bike Arc of Palo Alto, Calif. – Learn how a bicycle owner created a new
product line by rethinking how and where to park your bike
• To-Go-Ware of Berkeley, Calif  – See how one woman’s start-up encourages
people to reduce their “forkprint” by buying reusable containers and utensils

SBA Administrator Karen G. Mills is featured in the webinar along with savvy
business experts, including Stephen Key, an inventor and founder of
inventRight.com, and Steve King, founder of Emergent Research and author of
a major study on small business.  Discussion will focus on:

• How to recognize innovation when it occurs in your business;
• The habits of highly successful business owners;
• New tools to help you stimulate innovation; and
• How to improve your competitive position in the coming decade.

“Small businesses are the key driver of our nation’s economy and innovation
that will create jobs and strengthen our competitiveness in the global market,”
Mills said.  “This type of best practice sharing and discussion is another part of
SBA’s commitment to making sure small businesses have the tools they need
to succeed.”

Dun & Bradstreet works closely with small businesses to help them establish,
manage and grow their businesses and stay informed with relevant
topics.  “Innovation is clearly a key driver of growth and enables small
businesses to compete in today’s environment,” said Steve Alesio, Chairman &
CEO, D&B.

Small businesses can register for the webinar by going to D&B’s Small Business
Portal at https://dnb.webex.com/dnb/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=713748772.

Chronicle of Higher Ed, 10-3-09

SBA’s PRIME grant funding is intended to establish management and technical assistance, access to capital and other forms of financial assistance, and business training and counseling through qualified organizations to small businesses with five or fewer employees that are economically disadvantaged, and to businesses owned by low-income individuals, including those residing on Indian reservations and tribal lands. The grant funding received will be used to provide training and technical assistance to disadvantaged microentrepreneurs, to provide capacity building services to organizations that assist with microenterprise training and services, and to aid in researching and developing the best practices in the field of microenterprise development and technical assistance programs for disadvantaged microentrepreneurs. This year’s total program funding amounts to $5 million. Grants range up to $250, 000 with a 50 percent match required of the recipient organization.  The PRIME grant is open to microentrepreneur training and technical assistance providers in all 50 states and the territories, and has a one year performance period, with four 12-month options.

For a complete list of recipients, visit: http://www.sba.gov/services/financialassistance/sbapartners/prime/index.html.

H.R. 2965, the Enhancing Small Business Research and Innovation Act of 2009; H.Rpt. 111-190 Parts 1 and 2 (Altmire)

Extends for two years the SBIR/ STTR programs . Permits small businesses with investment from venture capital companies to participate in the SBIR and STTR program, provided they meet certain eligibility requirements 7 .8 .09: House passed H .R .2965, 386–41 . 7 .13 .09: Senate passed H .R . 2965 in lieu of S . 1233 with an amendment substituting House language with provisions in Senate bill . Unanimous consent . Note: On 9.23.09 the House passed H.R. 3614, authorizing SBA programs through 10.31.09. Senate approval expected.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) President Barack Obama announced a plan on Wednesday to spend $5 billion on medical and scientific research, medical supplies and upgrading laboratory capacity, which he said would create tens of thousands of new jobs. The funds, to come from the $787 billion economic stimulus package, will pay for “cutting-edge medical research in every state across America,” the White House said.

One billion dollars will go to research into the genetic causes of cancer and potential targeted treatments. Obama also promised a large infusion of funds into research on autism, which affects an estimated 1 in 150 U.S. children. “This kind of investment will also lead to new jobs: tens of thousands of jobs conducting research, manufacturing and supplying medical equipment, and building and modernizing laboratories and research facilities,” Obama said in a speech at the National Institutes of Health outside Washington. “The more than 12,000 grant awards … are part of an overall $100 billion Recovery Act investment in science and technology to lay the foundation for the innovation economy of the future,” the White House statement added.