Veterans seeking to start new businesses or grow existing ones nationwide can tap into new U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) grants.
The SBA recently announced $1.05 million in time-sensitive grants to five veterans organizations that will make funds available to qualifying applicants, aimed to boost the next generation of national production in critical sectors.
“Veterans are among our most effective entrepreneurs in critical sectors across our economy, and the Trump SBA is fighting for those who fought for our country by offering more resources to strengthen America’s production capacity,” SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler said in a statement.
“By pairing specialized training with practical business support, our grant funding will position veteran entrepreneurs to become essential suppliers across industry and agriculture—building the domestic capacity America needs to compete and reducing reliance on foreign adversaries,” she added.
Available through April 30, 2027, the grant programs will come with industry-specific instruction, practical support in corporate supply-chain procurement, business acquisition, procurement for specialized industries, and regenerative farming and ranching.
The SBA said the goal is to equip veteran entrepreneurs for new opportunities while strengthening America’s domestic capacity.
Five Organizations Share Grant Funding to Provide ‘Proven Path’
One of the five recipient organizations is Owners in Honor, a Houston, Texas-based nonprofit awarded $200,000 to provide training and technical assistance in business acquisition.
The organization empowers veterans to buy, operate, and sell small businesses, allowing veterans to turn their military service into a lasting economic legacy.
Ret. U.S. Army Lt. Col. Patrick Flood, also a Green Beret, is the organization’s CEO.
“Veterans bring that same leadership to business ownership, and Owners in Honor gives them a proven path to buy a company,” Flood told Military.com. “We’re grateful to the SBA and the Office of Veterans Business Development for this investment.
“It expands our acquisition training and hands-on technical assistance, so more veterans and military families can buy the companies that keep America’s supply chains and communities running.”
These other four organizations listed as grant recipients received the following:
- National Veteran-Owned Business Association (NaVOBA) received $150,000 for training in corporate supply chain procurement. The NaVOBA works to maximize corporate contracting and supply chain opportunities for veterans, including service-disabled veterans, through certification, advocacy, outreach, recognition and education.
- Vet to CEO received $200,000 to provide training and technical assistance in business acquisition. The volunteer organization of military veterans who own small businesses was founded in 2013 by two Army veterans-turned-entrepreneurs to support other veteran entrepreneurs.
- National Veteran Small Business Coalition (NVSBC) was awarded $250,000 for procurement training for specialized industries. The NVSBC provides resources and programming for veteran small businesses to start, maintain, and grow successful companies.
- The Utah Veteran Business Resource Center at Salt Lake Community College (VBRC) received $250,000 for veteran entrepreneurship training in regenerative farming and ranching. The VBRC offers entrepreneurial support to veterans, active duty, reserve, guard, and military spouses throughout Utah.
‘I Saw What Small Teams Can Do’
Through the SBA’s Entrepreneurship Training Programs, the Office of Veterans Business Development provides customized online and in-person training to help veteran entrepreneurs develop the skills, relationships and business knowledge needed to start, manage and sustain small businesses.
The office also provides resources for federal contracting, counseling, and training opportunities for veterans, service members, National Guard and Reserve members, military spouses and their families.
“In uniform, I saw what a small team can do with specialized training and the right support behind it,” Flood said. “Every acquisition we support keeps a business open, keeps its jobs local, and puts it in the hands of people who served.”
The SBA continues to invest in veteran entrepreneurship, including a recent $3.75 million grant over five years to prepare veteran-owned small businesses to compete for federal contracts.
Another $4.9 million in grants was also awarded over five years to establish new Veterans Business Outreach Centers nationwide.
Overall, the SBA defines its mission as helping to power the American dream of entrepreneurship by being the leading voice for small businesses within the federal government, empowering job creators with the resources and support they need to start, grow and expand their businesses.
They also aid businesses attempting to recover from a declared disaster.
To learn more, visit www.sba.gov. To find a Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC) near you, visit this link.
