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SBA And Office of Veterans Affairs join forces to Promote Veteran entrepreneurs

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On August 12, 2024, Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the voice for America’s more than 34 million small businesses, announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the SBA’s Office of Veterans Business Development (OVBD) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA). This partnership between OVBD and VBA will improve access to self-employment assistance and SBA training and counseling for active-duty service members and service-disabled veterans participating in the Veteran Readiness & Employment Program (VR&E), also known as Chapter 31. The MOU will run through June 17, 2028.

”…the SBA continues to deliver a strong record of supporting veterans, including increasing the number of Veterans Business Outreach Centers and creating greater access to federal contracts. This new agreement builds on the ongoing commitment to help veterans pursue the American Dream of business ownership.”

“The SBA is proud to sign this MOU with the VA, which gives both agencies more opportunity to maximize our resources and help VR&E program participants find meaningful entrepreneurship opportunities,” said Robert Yannuzzi, Assistant Administrator for the SBA’s Office of Veterans Business Development. “SBA resources have helped many veterans and service members start or expand successful small businesses that contribute to local and national economies. We are eager to continue this work and help guide VR&E participants in pursuit of their piece of the American dream.”

The SBA and VA will collaborate to hold joint training sessions, information sessions, and individual group training to train staff on the VR&E program as well as SBA resources to advance and expand appropriate self-employment opportunities for Chapter 31 participants.

Through SBA’s OVBD, Chapter 31 participants will have increased access to SBA resources nationwide, such as 28 Veterans Business Outreach Centers (VBOC) that will be expanding to 31 VBOCs this year, 68 District Offices, and other local resource partners like SCORE, Small Business Development Centers (SBDC), and Women’s Business Centers (WBC). These organizations will help participants get entrepreneurship training, learn new skills, and evaluate their business plans to start and grow a small business.


El 12 de agosto de 2024, la administradora Isabel Casillas Guzmán, jefa de la Administración de Pequeñas Empresas de EE. UU. (SBA) y portavoz de las más de 34 millones de pequeñas empresas de Estados Unidos, anunció la firma de un memorando de entendimiento (MOU) entre la Oficina de Veteranos de la SBA Desarrollo Empresarial (OVBD) y la Administración de Beneficios para Veteranos (VBA) del Departamento de Asuntos de Veteranos (VA) de EE. UU. Esta asociación entre OVBD y VBA mejorará el acceso a la asistencia para el trabajo por cuenta propia y a la capacitación y el asesoramiento de la SBA para los miembros en servicio activo y los veteranos discapacitados en servicio que participan en el Programa de Empleo y Preparación para Veteranos (VR&E), también conocido como Capítulo 31. El MOU se extenderá hasta el 17 de junio de 2028. ”…la SBA continúa brindando un sólido historial de apoyo a los veteranos, incluido el aumento del número de Centros de extensión empresarial para veteranos y la creación de un mayor acceso a contratos federales. Este nuevo acuerdo se basa en el compromiso continuo de ayudar a los veteranos a perseguir el sueño americano de ser propietarios de un negocio”.