Release Date: August 14, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Board of Governors Approve Florida SBDC Network’s
Designation as a State of Florida Center
Pensacola, FL – On August 6, 2009, the Florida Board of Governors (BOG) approved the application of the Florida Small Business Development Center Network (FSBDCN) to be designated a State of Florida Center. This designation was established to delineate those extraordinary centers that operate coordinated inter-institutional centers where research, service and teaching cross institutional lines. The statewide network of thirty-five SBDC centers, hosted by six universities, eleven Florida community/state colleges, chambers of commerce and other economic development organizations, met the BOG criteria and demonstrated their extraordinary economic outreach as they assist Florida’s entrepreneurs and small business owners to create and retain jobs, secure government contracts, acquire capital formation and increase sales.
The FSBDC Network is the first reclassification in the State University System (SUS) under this new classification system that eliminated the previous designations of institutes and centers. The FSBDCs had existed since 1980 as a Type One Center. Nationally, SBDCs were created by Congress in 1980 and Florida’s program was funded in 1976 as one of eight U.S. Small Business Administration pilot programs to provide free small business consulting for small businesses and entrepreneurs, business management training and information for better decision-making. The benefit of several specialized programs followed as needs brought about the special program initiatives.
Jerry Cartwright, FSBDCN State Director, shared the news with the network’s statewide employee base saying, “You should be very proud of the continuing visible stature of our Network within the University System.”
The BOG approval follows the Legislature’s designation of the FSBDCN as Florida’s “principal provider of small business assistance” during the last session. The full SBDC State of Florida proposal described how the FSBDCN mission is consistent with the BOG strategic plan and mission; guidelines for appointing the network director and the advisory board; the network’s structure and funding; and procedures for periodic assessment of the network.
The Presidents of each participating university approved the current application to the BOG for State of Florida Center designation, and the University of West Florida Board of Trustees approved the application in 2008. The designation permits the submission of a legislative budget request on behalf of the entire Network, including the participating SUS institutions, for recurring or non-recurring state funding. At present, there is no proposal for legislative funding pending before the BOG. The possibility of such requests will be explored annually depending on the state’s funding climate and center need.
“We want the entire Florida small business community to be aware of who we are and what we offer; and the role we play in fostering a live business environment for Florida University and College students in facilitating entrepreneurship and successful business development and growth,” said Cartwright.
The Florida SBDC Network, a statewide service network of 35 centers, is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration, hosted by the University of West Florida and accredited through the national Association of SBDCs. For over 30 years, the Network has nourished a statewide partnership between higher education and economic development organizations and has been dedicated to providing emerging and established business owners with assistance, enabling overall growth and increased profitability for the businesses and economic prosperity for the state. To learn more about the Florida SBDC Network or to find an SBDC near you, visit www.FloridaSBDC.org or call 1.866.737.7232.
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State Director's Office l 401 E Chase St, Ste 100 l Pensacola, FL 32502
866.737.7232 or 850.473.7800 l www.FloridaSBDC.org
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