SBA community navigator pilot program

Strengthening Communities One Business at a Time

Following the SBA’s requested Hub-and-Spoke model, Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) and several Hawaiian and Maui based Community Development organizations and  partners will provide training and technical assistance to businesses and entrepreneurs in underserved and remote locations in Maui County and the State of Hawaii thanks to a $1M U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) grant, called the Community Navigator Pilot Program.

The Program is designed to reduce barriers that underrepresented and underserved businesses, entrepreneurs, and those considering starting a business often face in accessing the programs they need to recover, grow, or start their businesses. Research shows that the amount of Community-based, Remote and Native-owned business is scarce in today’s market due to structural barriers Community-based, Remote and Native-owned businesses and entrepreneurs face in business ownership and creation. Rooted within the communities the Hub and Spokes are instrumental in reaching under-serviced and Native communities by providing culturally relevant, economic development services.

Acting as a “Hub,” MEDB will serve as a centralized, lead organization and leverage our long-standing relationships with other grassroots organizations as “Spokes.” Through this model, government resources will be more effectively distributed to reach small business owners and entrepreneurs in the underserved and remote Communities.

Through the Community Navigator Pilot Program, SBA is engaging with states, local governments, SBA resource partners, and other organizations in targeted outreach for small businesses in underserved communities. 

The program offers funding to nonprofits, state and local governments, universities, and tribal entities to partner with SBA at the center of a hub and spoke network. These hubs then support spoke organizations – trusted, culturally knowledgeable local groups and individuals – who will connect to specific sectors of the entrepreneurial community to provide assistance during economic recovery, including:

• • financial assistance and access to capital
  • contracting and procurement
  • marketing, operations, business development, and exporting
  • industry-specific training

For additional information, see SBA’s Information Notice: Use of Community Navigators to Provide Technical Assistance