University of West Florida

The Center's coalition will include minority business chambers and the Florida Small Business Development Network, with locations across the State. The proposed scope of work will include the following services: identify and assess the needs of Minority Owned Businesses, including those that have not connected with minority chambers or achieved certification as Minority Owned Businesses (MBOs); support entrepreneurs in product development, CAD and 3D printing to prototype new products for the US market and for export. The printers will be available to the minority chamber business members and veterans to support product development and refinement; provide site location studies, demographic analyses, business identification and product refinement service; and address financial challenges by connecting entrepreneurs with programs like “Florida First,” an EDA and Florida Dept. of Economic Opportunity partnership, which provides small businesses with easy access to available and affordable working capital at reasonable interest rates and terms in order to help them grow and expand.