While the federal government does not provide grants for starting or growing small businesses, it does provide a myriad of services to assist entrepreneurs in pursuit of their dreams. One of the mechanisms in place to promote small business growth and economic development is the Community Development Financial Institution Fund managed by the US Department of the Treasury. In the current fiscal year the federal government is allocating more than $12 Million to support CDFIs.
Community Development Financial Institutions fall into four categories:
The genesis of the Community Development Financial Institution Fund was the Riegle Community Development and Regulatory Improvement Act of 1994. The reason for the fund's existence is to foster economic revitalization and community development.
The Small Business Investment Companies Program revolves around the notion of developing privately owned and managed investment companies which will be licenses and regulated by the Small Business Administration, so as to provide equity capital, long term loans, and advisory services to small business requiring such services.
The SBA is dedicated to lend a hand to the service people in America and directly links with the Patriot Express Loan for veterans who desire to initiate their own business and want to start commercial activities. The SBA also plays a role in encouraging growth and job creation during the process, which is an indispensable part to support economic prosperity.
Ontario, Canada is seeing an emergence of thousands of social enterprises and the Ontario government hopes to tap into the social enterprise movement.