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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 20, 2025

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Washington State Microenterprise Association (WSMA) awards $2 million to 46 nonprofit organizations serving the smallest businesses in Washington State.

State funds will support projects that strengthen small businesses in rural and urban communities throughout Washington

OLYMPIA, WA – The Washington State Microenterprise Association (WSMA) has awarded $2 million in small grants to 46 nonprofit organizations in Washington State that provide business training, technical assistance and support with accessing financing for small businesses, especially those with five or fewer employees.  For over twenty years, WSMA has strengthened nonprofit Entrepreneur Support Organizations through grants, training, technical assistance, capacity building, and more recently, resource coordination via Evergreen BizLink. WSMA grants expand business training, technical assistance, and financing opportunities to very small businesses in rural and urban areas, especially to those who have been historically marginalized communities.

This current grant cycle is made possible through the support of the Washington State Department of Commerce. Grant awardees include Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESOs), Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), Small Business Resiliency Partners (SBRN), Chambers of Commerce, Associate Development Organizations (ADOs) and other organizations that serve entrepreneurs in rural communities, including businesses owned by Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), veterans, people with disabilities, returning citizens, LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs and many others.

Funding for ESOs in this grant cycle will provide business services to entrepreneurs in nearly every industry sector in Washington including, but not limited to, small scale manufacturing, creative economy, food-based, tech, maritime, life sciences, agriculture, childcare and more.

WSMA’s training, grant programs and Evergreen BizLink​ are building the capacity and reach of over 150 Entrepreneur Support Organizations​ that are providing businesses with comprehensive business training, technical assistance and financing support ​to stimulate innovation, create social inclusion, advance sustainability and connections in our local economies.

For more information, contact Lisa Smith, WSMA Executive Director at (360) 480-8048 or lisa@wamicrobiz.org.

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