SBA SCALE Grant: How Economic Developers Can Strengthen Business Retention and Expansion Programs

16 Jul 2026

A new SBA grant offers up to $500,000 to help organizations deliver business support services, strengthen supply chains, and grow local businesses.

For most economic developers, the businesses already operating in your community are your greatest economic development asset. Helping those employers overcome challenges, expand operations, and remain competitive is often just as important as attracting new investment.

A Business Retention and Expansion (BR&E) Program is one of the most effective ways to accomplish that goal. Through regular visits with existing employers, economic developers identify workforce shortages, operational constraints, supply chain challenges, expansion opportunities, and other issues that may impact a company's long-term success. More importantly, those conversations create opportunities to connect businesses with the resources they need to grow.

The challenge is that many organizations have limited capacity to provide those services.

A new grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) could help change that.

The Supply Chain Acceleration and Logistics Enablement (SCALE) Program provides grants of up to $500,000 to eligible organizations that help small businesses strengthen their operations, improve supplier readiness, and participate in strategically important supply chains.

With applications due August 7, now is the time to determine whether your organization or one of your community partners could use this funding to expand the services delivered through your

Business Retention and Expansion Program.

What Is the SBA SCALE Program?

The SBA's Supply Chain Acceleration and Logistics Enablement (SCALE) Program supports organizations that provide technical assistance, accelerator programming, workforce development, industry engagement, and other implementation-focused services that help small businesses overcome supply chain barriers.

Rather than funding individual businesses directly, the program invests in organizations that can deliver ongoing support to multiple businesses within a region or industry - exactly what economic development organizations are designed to do.

Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations, for-profit organizations, colleges and universities, tribal organizations, and other eligible entities identified by the SBA. Organizations should review the official eligibility requirements to determine whether they qualify.

Awards are available for up to $500,000, with applications due August 7.

How Can Economic Developers Participate?

You may qualify to be the grant applicant. But, even if your organization is not the grant applicant, you can play a critical role in developing a successful SCALE initiative.

Many economic development organizations already have strong relationships with local employers through their Business Retention and Expansion Programs. Those relationships provide valuable insight into the operational, workforce, and supply chain challenges businesses face every day.

Economic developers can use that knowledge to:

Identify the services local businesses need most.
Build partnerships with eligible grant applicants.
Help shape programs that address documented business challenges.
Connect businesses with technical assistance providers and industry partners.
Coordinate outreach and ongoing business engagement throughout the life of the program.

In many communities, the economic development organization is uniquely positioned to lead the conversation, even if another organization serves as the grant applicant.

How Can the SBA SCALE Grant Strengthen a Business Retention and Expansion Program?

The strongest Business Retention and Expansion Programs do more than collect information. They connect businesses with practical solutions that help them become stronger, more competitive employers.

Funding awarded through the SBA SCALE Program could support services delivered through a Business Retention and Expansion Program, including:

Business Retention Services

Regular business visits focused on identifying supply chain constraints and growth opportunities.
One-on-one business coaching and technical assistance.
Business expansion planning.
Referral coordination with regional partners and technical assistance providers.

Supplier Development

Supplier readiness assessments.
Procurement and supply chain coaching.
Connections between local suppliers and major manufacturers.
Industry networking events and supplier matchmaking programs.

Workforce Development

Workforce assessments.
Training partnerships with colleges and workforce agencies.
Hiring and talent pipeline initiatives.
Upskilling programs that address employer workforce needs.

Operational and Technical Assistance

Production and process improvement assistance.
Technology adoption and digital transformation planning.
Manufacturing efficiency assessments.
Logistics and supply chain optimization.
Market expansion and export readiness support.

These services create an ongoing support system that helps existing businesses grow while strengthening the regional economy.

Why Your BR&E Visits Matter Right Now

If you're already meeting with local employers through your Business Retention and Expansion Program, those conversations can help identify the services your community should seek funding to provide.

Ask questions such as:

What operational challenges are limiting growth?
Are workforce shortages affecting production?
Are supply chain disruptions impacting your business?
What technical assistance would help your company compete more effectively?
Are there opportunities to become a supplier for larger manufacturers or government contractors?

The answers will help document local business needs while strengthening conversations with potential grant partners. With the August 7 deadline approaching, every business visit becomes an opportunity to identify challenges, build partnerships, and develop a program that responds directly to the needs of your business community.

Who Should Consider Applying for This Grant?

The SCALE Program is designed to support organizations that help small businesses become stronger suppliers and overcome barriers to growth. Economic developers should consider applying directly or engaging partner organizations that may be eligible to apply, including:

Nonprofit organizations
Colleges and universities
Private-sector organizations
Tribal organizations
Workforce and training providers
Manufacturing Extension Partnerships (MEPs)
Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs)
Industry associations

By bringing these partners together around the needs identified through your Business Retention and Expansion Program, communities can develop coordinated solutions that strengthen local businesses and improve long-term economic competitiveness.

Why Business Retention and Expansion Programs Matter

Most communities spend significant time and resources recruiting new businesses, but existing employers are often the largest source of future job growth and private investment.

A well-designed Business Retention and Expansion Program helps economic developers:

Identify expansion opportunities before businesses look elsewhere.
Resolve challenges before they become barriers to growth.
Strengthen relationships with local employers.
Connect businesses with funding, technical assistance, workforce resources, and strategic partners.
Build a stronger, more resilient local economy.

The SBA SCALE Program is more than a grant opportunity. It is an opportunity to transform a traditional Business Retention and Expansion Program into a comprehensive business support initiative that helps local employers strengthen operations, grow their workforce, improve supply chain resilience, and compete for new market opportunities.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Business Retention and Expansion Program?

A Business Retention and Expansion (BR&E) Program is a structured economic development initiative that helps communities support existing businesses through regular outreach, business visits, problem solving, and connections to resources that encourage growth and long-term investment.

What is the SBA SCALE Program?

The Supply Chain Acceleration and Logistics Enablement (SCALE) Program is an SBA grant program that provides up to $500,000 to eligible organizations that help small businesses strengthen supplier readiness, improve operations, expand market opportunities, and overcome supply chain challenges.

Does an economic development organization have to be the grant applicant?

Not necessarily. Many economic development organizations can play an important role by identifying business needs, building partnerships with eligible applicants, coordinating business outreach, and helping design programs that deliver meaningful technical assistance to local employers.

What can SBA SCALE funding be used for?

Funding can support technical assistance, accelerator programming, workforce development, supplier readiness, industry engagement, operational improvements, and other activities that help small businesses participate more effectively in strategically important supply chains.

Learn More

If your organization is interested in the SBA SCALE Program, now is the time to begin documenting business needs, building partnerships, and identifying the services your community needs most.

Learn more about the SBA SCALE Program and application requirements on Grants.gov before the August 7 deadline.