State grants are available for Florida minority women business owners.
The state of Florida offers several grant opportunities for minority women. Whether seeking grants to start-up a business or expand clientele, state grants are available for assistance. If a Florida resident has fallen on hard time, public assistance grants are also available. For low-income Florida residents who would like to attend college, state educational grants are also available, including one grant program specifically tailored to minority women pursuing a career in education.
Grants for Florida Minority Women-Owned Businesses
The Florida Minority Business Opportunity Center (FMBOC) offers services to minority-owned Florida businesses. Services include marketing assistance and access to capital access funds through traditional and non-traditional funding sources. The FMBOC also helps minority-owned businesses secure Florida state government contracts for services and products. Cities within Florida also have programs to assist their local minority and women-owned businesses. The Tampa Women/Minority Business Enterprise (WMBE) Program helps women and minority-owned businesses with business support. Tampa's WMBE also assists minority women with city government contracts for their services and products. Free services and business expansion grants are available from state and city departments for minority and women business owners.
Small Business Administration Grants and SCORE
The Small Business Administration (SBA) offers an online search engine to search for business loans, grants and financing. Individual criteria such as industry, state and status as a woman-owned business and a minority-owned business are submitted to the search engine on site. Federal and state business grants and programs that meet the criteria entered are then made available. The SBA provides small business research grants for certain industries, such as agriculture, energy and education. Venture capital for start-up businesses is available to business owners through the SBA in Florida as well. The SBA also provides free business counseling through its SCORE Program.
Public Assistance Food, Medical and Cash Grants
Florida offers several public assistance programs. Public assistance programs such the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) previously referred to as "food stamps," medical insurance and cash grants are available to minority women who are Florida residents in need. All recipients of Florida public services and grants must pass a drug test to receive services as of July 1, 2011. Residents apply for Temporary Cash Assistance, SNAP and other public assistance grants online using the ACCESS system or by visiting one of the Department of Children and Families (DCF) ACCESS Florida community partner or customer service sites. Locations of these DCF ACCESS partners and service sites are listed on the DCF website.
Educational Grants
Florida provides several grant programs for minority women attending college.
The Florida Department of Education administers state grants and scholarships through its Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA) Programs. Preliminary applications for this assistance can be submitted online through the OSFA website. Florida State educational grants and scholarships are also listed on the OSFA website. Florida offers the Access to Better Learning and Education Grant Program that assists low-income residents with tuition and educational costs. The Florida Fund for Minority Teachers Grant provides educational grants for minority women who are pursuing a career in teaching. Several other programs such as the Work Study and Student Assistance programs provide students with state grants which subsidize their wages, allowing students access to work experience perhaps not otherwise available.
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