Colorado Small Business Development Center Network Receives National Accreditation

The Colorado Small Business Development Center (COSBDC) Network is not only celebrating 30 years of supporting small businesses in Colorado, but has earned full accreditation from the Association of Small Business Development Centers, the national accrediting body for Small Business Development Centers under contract from the U.S. Small Business Administration. The America’s SBDC Accreditation Committee voted to fully accredit the COSBDC program with commendations and announced this at the America’s SBDC semiannual meeting in Washington, D.C. in February.”This seal of approval is the result of the skills and expertise of the network’s staff and the impact of their work in helping small businesses grow and prosper,” said COSBDC Network director Kelly Manning. “The entire Colorado team does a truly outstanding job supporting small businesses and making Colorado’s economy the best in the nation.”The COSBDC also received accreditation in technology and is now a “T” designated state, one of only a handful in the country. This enables the COSBDC to focus on businesses with less than 25 employees on the use of technology and technology companies to commercialize, apply for SBIR/STTR grants and strategize on growth opportunities, to mention a few offerings.”Colorado’s tech scene is thriving and the State is becoming an innovation hub. We are in the top five US states for entrepreneurship and innovation with an influx of top tech talent as of late,” said Manning. “Having a “T” designation only further allows us to support this growing community of start-ups based within the State.” Federal statute mandates that every five years, SBDC programs undergo a robust review to continue program eligibility and funding. This review process is based on the Baldridge Performance Excellence Program that ensures effectiveness and efficient program delivery. Reaching full accreditation helps to eliminate inconsistencies between the nationwide network of 1,000 SBDC locations and over 4,000 SBDC business advisors, and creates a standard that defines excellence while providing an approach to achieving the highest performance. No other publicly-funded program undergoes the accountability examinations and reviews that SBDCs receive.To learn more about the COSBDC and its no-cost, confidential consulting services go online to coloradosbdc.org or call the Small Business Navigator at 303-592-5920.

About the Colorado Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network

The Colorado Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network is dedicated to helping existing and new businesses grow and prosper in Colorado by providing free and confidential consulting and no-or low-cost training programs. The SBDC strives to be the premier, trusted choice of Colorado businesses for consulting, training and resources. The SBDC Network combines the resources of federal, state and local organizations with those of the educational system and private sector to meet the specialized and complex needs of the small business community.COSBDC is a division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT). COSBDC is funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration, the state of Colorado and local organizations that support our small business community. COSBDC is a member of America’s SBDC, celebrating over 35 years of providing proven technical assistance to small businesses in 1000 centers nationwide.