81 FR 1272 - Announcement of Lean for Main Street Training Challenge

SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 6 (January 11, 2016)

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announces the Lean for Main Street Training Challenge, pursuant to the America Competes Act, to encourage current SBA Women's Business Centers, Small Business Development Centers, and SCORE Chapters--to identify ways of adapting framework established under the National Science Foundation's successful I-Corps<SUP>TM</SUP> business assistance program for small businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs that have not had much exposure to those kinds of resources.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 6 (Monday, January 11, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1272-1274]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-00302]


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SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION


Announcement of Lean for Main Street Training Challenge

AGENCY: U.S. Small Business Administration.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announces the 
Lean for Main Street Training Challenge, pursuant to the America 
Competes Act, to encourage current SBA Women's Business Centers, Small 
Business Development Centers, and SCORE Chapters--to identify ways of 
adapting framework established under the National Science Foundation's 
successful I-CorpsTM business assistance program for small 
businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs that have not had much exposure 
to those kinds of resources.

DATES: The submission period for entries will begin at 12:00 p.m. EDT, 
January 11, 2016, and end February 10, 2016, at 11:59 p.m. EDT. SBA 
anticipates that winners will be announced no later than February 29, 
2016.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Matthew Stevens, Strategic Initiatives 
Manager, Office of Entrepreneurial Development, U.S. Small Business 
Administration, 409 Third Street SW., 6th Floor, Washington, DC 20416, 
(202) 205-7699, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Competition Details

    1. Subject of Challenge Competition: Given the success and growing 
popularity of the National Science Foundation's I-CorpsTM 
program (see http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/i-corps/about.jsp), the SBA is interested in the potential for using adapted 
versions of that program as a means to assist a broader array of small 
businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs operating outside the I-
CorpsTM program's current focus on technology-based 
businesses or commercialization concepts. For reference, the I-
CorpsTM program involves expert business trainers helping 
teams of scientists and entrepreneurs apply ``lean principles''--a 
collection of practices and concepts for business model analysis--to 
those scientists' and entrepreneurs' nascent entrepreneurial efforts. 
Given the SBA's esteem for the success of this program, the SBA has 
partnered with the National Science Foundation (NSF) to offer the Lean 
for Main Street Training Challenge to current SBA Women's Business 
Centers, Small Business Development Centers, and SCORE Chapters 
(``Contestants''). Contestants selected as winners will participate in 
the development and deployment of innovative ``lean startup'' resources 
that can be delivered to small businesses in sectors or regions that 
have not had significant exposure or access to these resources. Winning 
Contestant representatives will participate in an in-person and virtual 
train-the-trainer program and forum with I-CorpsTM national 
instructors to develop an innovative framework for exposing lean 
methodology to businesses in traditional sectors. Winners will then 
implement these newly-developed lean training resources to businesses 
in their respective communities on a pilot basis and provide SBA with 
an assessment of their effectiveness.
    2. Eligibility Rules for Participating in the Competition: Only 
current recipients or sub-recipients in good standing of grants and 
cooperative agreements from SBA under the Women's Business Center, 
Small Business Development Center (both lead and service centers are 
eligible), or SCORE programs (``Resource Partners'') are eligible to 
take part in this competition. To be eligible to win a prize under this 
Competition, a Contestant:
    (a) Shall have registered to participate in the competition under 
the rules promulgated by SBA;
    (b) Shall have complied with all the requirements under this 
Notice;
    (c) In the case of a private entity, shall be incorporated in and 
maintain a primary place of business in the United States, and
    (d) May not be a Federal entity or Federal employee acting within 
the scope of their employment;
    (e) Shall not be an SBA employee working on their applications 
during assigned duty hours.
    3. Registration Process for Contestants: Contestants will submit 
their application through challenge.gov. Winners will be required to 
have an account in System for Award Management (SAM) https://www.sam.gov to receive the award.
    4. Amount of Prize: Through the Lean for Main Street Training 
Challenge, the SBA will award up to five cash prizes

[[Page 1273]]

of $25,000 each. Additionally, scholarships with a value of up to 
$1,200 each will be issued by the SBA for two representatives of each 
winning organization to attend a 7 week I-CorpsTM in person 
and virtual train the trainer program. The in person component of the 
training will take place in Washington, DC March 29 through April 1, 
2016 and again May 11 through 14; virtual sessions will take place on 
April 7, 14, 21, 28, and May 5. On May 14, winners will participate in 
a forum with I-Corps instructors to discuss and refine their customized 
lean programs which will then be piloted by the winners.
    5. Payment of Prize: The scholarships portion of the prize will be 
disbursed in the form of two vouchers for the two representatives from 
each winning organization to attend the I-CorpsTM training 
event in early 2016. The cash prize portion of the award will be 
disbursed in a series of three payments. The first payment, equal to 60 
percent of a winner's total prize amount, will be disbursed upon award 
once all initial requirements in the Official Rules available at 
https://www.challenge.gov (see Rules section in the for Lean for Main 
Street Training Challenge) have been met. The second payment, equal to 
20 percent of a winner's total prize amount, will be disbursed after a 
winner has presented a modified I-CorpsTM program to the SBA 
and Agency staff has deemed that modified program satisfactory. This 
modified program must be presented within six (6) months of the date of 
the award unless otherwise specified by the SBA. The remaining 20 
percent of the total prize amount will be disbursed after a winner 
submits a written assessment that includes, but is not limited to, the 
outcomes and outputs of the pilot implementation of the modified 
program as measured by the metrics outlined in its proposal, a summary 
of any lessons learned and best practices, and suggestions for any 
improvements to the design or implementation of similar competitions in 
the future. The written assessment must be submitted to SBA no later 
than 12 months after a winner receives its first prize payment.
    6. Selection of Winners: Winners will be selected based upon how 
well they address the following criteria on their application forms:
     Audience: SBA's Resource Partners interact with a diverse 
group of small business owners and entrepreneurs. While lean materials 
aimed towards tech startups are commonly available, entrepreneurs in 
different industries, with different backgrounds, or from different 
geographies may find these materials less applicable to their immediate 
circumstances. In order to be successful, a Contestant should clearly 
identify the specific audience for which their modified program would 
be developed. Contestants are free to define their audience according 
to their own parameters (e.g., Sector, Business Phase (pre-venture, 
startup, existing businesses) Geography, Historically Disadvantaged or 
Underserved Status, etc.)
     Adaptation: To kick off the adaptation of the I-
CorpsTM program, each winner will send two representatives 
to NSF's I-CorpsTM gathering in Washington, DC, where they 
will work in dedicated groups with I-CorpsTM instructors as 
part of a specialized Train the Trainer program. Applications should 
outline exactly how representatives intend to benefit from this 
experience, including any specific knowledge gaps that representatives 
are looking to fill through their participation. They should also give 
a clear idea of the demonstrated ability of each representative to 
adapt and deliver new resources to small businesses. Please note that 
while SBA is interested in your knowledge and experience with lean 
methods, preexisting expertise in lean methodology is NOT a requirement 
for this Competition.
     Implementation: An entrepreneurial development program is 
only as good as the people it can reach. While the ability to adapt and 
customize entrepreneurial development resources is clearly important, 
equally important will be the Contestants' solution to delivering their 
curriculum to small businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs in their 
target audience. An application should delineate, as clearly as 
possible, how the Resource Partner intends to leverage their existing 
relationships, the curriculum that they will develop, and the funds 
awarded to bring lean methods into their communities on a pilot basis. 
Applications should also give a clear idea of how they intend to 
evaluate the effectiveness of their program, including specific metrics 
that the Resource Partner will track.
    7. Applicable Law: This Competition is being conducted by SBA 
pursuant to the America Competes Act (15 U.S.C. 3719) and is subject to 
all applicable federal laws and regulations. By participating in this 
Competition, each Contestant gives its full and unconditional agreement 
to the Official Rules and the related administrative decisions 
described in this notice, which are final and binding in all matters 
related to the Competition. A Contestant's eligibility for a prize 
award is contingent upon its fulfilling all requirements identified in 
this notice and in the Official Rules. Publication of this notice is 
not an obligation of funds on the part of SBA. SBA reserves the right 
to modify or cancel this Competition, in whole or in part, at any time 
prior to the award of prizes.
    8. Conflicts of Interest: No individual acting as a judge at any 
stage of this Competition may have personal or financial interests in, 
or be an employee, officer, director, or agent of any Contestant or 
have a familial or financial relationship with a Contestant.
    9. Intellectual Property Rights:
    (a). All entries submitted in response to this Competition will 
remain the sole intellectual property of the individuals or 
organizations that developed them. By registering and entering a 
submission, each Contestant represents and warrants that it is the sole 
author and copyright owner of the submission, and that the submission 
is an original work of the Contestant, or if the submission is a work 
based on an existing application, that the Contestant has acquired 
sufficient rights to use and to authorize others to use the submission, 
and that the submission does not infringe upon any copyright or upon 
any other third party rights of which the Contestant is aware.
    (b). The winning Contestant will, in consideration of the prize to 
be awarded, grant to SBA an irrevocable, royalty-free, exclusive 
worldwide license to reproduce, distribute, copy, display, create 
derivative works, and publicly post, link to, and share the lean 
training resources or parts thereof that are to be developed as a 
result of winning this competition or for any official SBA purpose.
    10. Publicity Rights: By registering and entering a submission, 
each Contestant consents to SBA's and its agents' use, in perpetuity, 
of its name, likeness, photograph, voice, opinions, and/or hometown and 
state information for promotional or informational purposes through any 
form of media, worldwide, without further payment or consideration.
    11. Liability and Insurance Requirements: By registering and 
entering a submission, each Contestant agrees to assume any and all 
risks and waive claims against the Federal Government and its related 
entities, except in the case of willful misconduct, for any injury, 
death, damage, or loss of property, revenue, or profits, whether 
direct, indirect, or consequential, arising from their participation in 
this Competition, whether the injury, death, damage, or loss arises 
through negligence or otherwise. By registering

[[Page 1274]]

and entering a submission, each Contestant further represents and 
warrants that it possesses sufficient liability insurance or financial 
resources to cover claims by a third party for death, bodily injury, or 
property damage or loss resulting from any activity it carries out in 
connection with its participation in this Competition, or claims by the 
Federal Government for damage or loss to Government property resulting 
from such an activity. Competition winners should be prepared to 
demonstrate proof of insurance or financial responsibility in the event 
SBA deems it necessary.
    12. Record Retention and Disclosure: All submissions and related 
materials provided to SBA in the course of this Competition 
automatically become SBA records and cannot be returned. Contestants 
should identify any confidential commercial information contained in 
their entries at the time of their submission.
    Award Approving Official: Tameka S. Montgomery, Associate 
Administrator, Office of Entrepreneurial Development, U.S. Small 
Business Administration, 409 Third Street SW., Washington, DC 20416.

    Authority:  America Competes Reauthorization Act of 2010, 15 
U.S.C. 3719.

    Dated: January 5, 2016.
Tameka Montgomery,
Associate Administrator, Office of Entrepreneurial Development.
[FR Doc. 2016-00302 Filed 1-8-16; 8:45 a.m.]
 BILLING CODE 8025-01-P