The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is seeking to partner with an Idaho nonprofit organization to help female entrepreneurs in the Gem State.

SBA announced a grant that will provide $150,000 to a local nonprofit for the establishment of a Women’s Business Center in Idaho.

The nonprofit would be required to administer business counseling, training and other resources to women looking to start or increase the size of their businesses.

“There are thousands of woman-owned small businesses in our 10 North Idaho counties and opportunities for thousands more as our partners, in conjunction with the SBA, work together to provide a special focus on resources designed to address their specific needs,“ SBA Seattle District Director Kerrie Hurd said.

SBA, a government organization, offers mentoring, training and networking opportunities to female entrepreneurs at more than 100 Women’s Business Centers across the country.

During the 2017 fiscal year, these centers worked with nearly 150,000 entrepreneurs, helping to launch 17,000 new businesses.

The organization believes the addition of a location in Idaho will be a boon for the state’s businesswomen.

“We know that when women get help in the early stages of forming their businesses, they are more likely to succeed,” SBA Assistant Administrator Kathy McShane said. “We are encouraging organizations to come forward to provide small business assistance for women entrepreneurs, who are an engine for economic growth.”

Eligible applicants for the grant must be private, nonprofit organizations with 501(c) tax-exempt status from the U.S. Treasury/Internal Revenue Service and must provide services to the population within the state of Idaho.

Applications must be submitted to grants.gov by Monday, June 18.

Interested organizations can attend an information session at 10 a.m. on Thursday, May 17 in the Coeur d’Alene Room of the North Idaho College student union.

To register for the event, go to https://information-session-on-wbc-grants_03_idaho.eventbrite.com.

To submit an application online, visit www.grants.gov and type “OWBO” in the keyword search to pull up the grant announcement for Idaho.

Any questions should be directed to the SBA’s Office of Women’s Business Ownership (OWBO) via email at owbo@sba.gov.