SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Pursuant to section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C., Appendix 2), SBA announces the meeting of the Interagency Task Force on Veterans Small Business Development (Task Force). The Task Force is established pursuant to Executive Order 13540 to coordinate the efforts of Federal agencies to improve capital, business development opportunities, and pre-established federal contracting goals for small business concerns owned and controlled by veterans and service-disabled veterans.

Moreover, the Task Force shall coordinate administrative and regulatory activities and develop proposals relating to “six focus areas”: (1) Improving capital access and capacity of small business concerns owned and controlled by veterans and service-disabled veterans through loans, surety bonding, and franchising; (2) ensuring achievement of the pre-established Federal contracting goals for small business concerns owned and controlled by veterans and service disabled veterans through expanded mentor-protégé assistance and matching such small business concerns with contracting opportunities; (3) increasing the integrity of certifications of status as a small business concern owned and controlled by a veteran or service-disabled veteran; (4) reducing paperwork and administrative burdens on veterans in accessing business development and entrepreneurship opportunities; (5) increasing and improving training and counseling services provided to small business concerns owned and controlled by veterans; and (6) making other improvements relating to the support for veterans business development by the Federal Government.

Additional Information: This meeting is open to the public. Advance notice of attendance is requested. Anyone wishing to attend and/or make comments to the Task Force must contact SBA's Office of Veterans Business Development no later than August 29, 2018 at veteransbusiness@sba.gov. Comments for the record should be applicable to the “six focus areas” of the Task Force and will be limited to five minutes in the interest of time and to accommodate as many participants as possible. Written comments should also be sent to the above email no later than August 29, 2018. Special accommodations requests should also be directed to SBA's Office of Veterans Business Development at (202) 205-6773 or to veteransbusiness@sba.gov. For more information on veteran owned small business programs, please visit www.sba.gov/​ovbd.