WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Small Business Administration is offering $9 million in grants to organizations that help small businesses overcome production, workforce and market-access barriers in industries considered important to U.S. economic and national security.
The Supply Chain Acceleration and Logistics Enablement Program, known as SCALE, is expected to award 20 grants of as much as $500,000 each over a two-year performance period. Proposals are due Aug. 7, 2026, at 4 p.m. ET.
The funding is intended to expand technical assistance, accelerator programs and industry partnerships for smaller suppliers seeking to increase production or enter strategically important supply chains.
Applicants must focus on at least one of six priority areas: advanced manufacturing; biotechnology and biomanufacturing; defense technologies and components; energy, critical materials and industrial inputs; food and agriculture; or transportation, logistics and industrial infrastructure.
Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations, tribal organizations, colleges and universities, local governments, small businesses and other for-profit entities capable of delivering technical assistance or supplier-development programs.
The competition does not require cost sharing or matching funds. Awards will be issued as discretionary grants under funding opportunity number SB-OIIGA-26-001.
SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler described the program as part of the agency’s effort to increase domestic production and reduce reliance on overseas suppliers.
“The SBA’s SCALE Program offers targeted support to rebuild critical supply chains across our industrial base by empowering high-potential domestic suppliers to meet new demand,” Loeffler stated.
The grant competition follows several SBA policy changes aimed at increasing financing for domestic manufacturers. The agency this year waived certain loan fees for manufacturing businesses, introduced a loan program for manufacturers and revised its Small Business Investment Company program to direct more private capital toward supply-chain-sensitive industries.
The SBA has also introduced a 90% Made in America loan guarantee for qualifying small manufacturers and continues to offer its asset-based 7(a) Working Capital Pilot Program.
Organizations selected for SCALE funding will be expected to help small businesses address operational, technical and workforce constraints, improve supplier readiness and expand their ability to compete for contracts in the targeted industries.
Applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov. Additional information is available at https://simpler.grants.gov/opportunity/139b0561-817a-4580-a9f9-d543e0ae1f3a.
Questions about the competition may be directed to accelerators@sba.gov. Grants.gov customer support is available at support@grants.gov or 1-800-518-4726.
Support the local news that supports Chester County. MyChesCo delivers reliable, fact-based reporting and essential community resources—free for everyone. If you value that, click here to become a patron today.