MESA, AZ – The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development (NCAIED) was recently named as one of seven organizations to receive $1.1 million in grants and contracts from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The awards will be used to promote the development, success, and long-term sustainability of Native American-owned businesses, aligning closely with NCAIED’s core mission to expand economic opportunity in Indian Country. Awards will be used to continue to provide and expand business development services, management, and technical assistance to Native American entrepreneurs and business owners.
“Native-owned small businesses are vital to our shared economic future, and the SBA is committed to engaging and supporting them,” said SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman. “The $1.1 million in awards will provide a boost to the SBA’s service providers working to address the systemic inequities that continue to affect Indigenous peoples. As a member of the White House Council of Native American Affairs, I recognize that there is still much work to do to close opportunity gaps for the most impacted and hardest-to-reach Native American small business owners, and we are determined to continue providing the tools and resources Native American entrepreneurs across the nation need to focus on what they do best — create jobs and grow their small businesses.”
“The selected awardees have demonstrated a track record of service working with Native American small businesses and have also demonstrated they can provide the range of management and technical assistance services that micro-enterprise small businesses need in this critical moment,” said Mark Madrid, Associate Administrator for the Office of Entrepreneurial Development. “That means we will be using all of the tools at our disposal to assist in the growth and vitality addressing the unique challenges facing Native American small business owners.”
“It is very exciting and encouraging to see the continued support for our Native American entrepreneurs,” said Jackson S. Brossy, Assistant Administrator, Office of Native American Affairs. “Important resources such as these will help many community leaders with growth and job expansion. Our goal is to focus on our next generation of business builders and help increase economic opportunity.”
NCAIED’s range of services includes:
- Marketing and business development
- Contract management and compliance resources
- Guidance on industry-specific certifications and requirements
- Strategic and operational planning and management consulting
- Accounting, bookkeeping, and financial analysis
- Information technology and systems development