,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #daji  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,july #cj1 #bjai,mr4 
,espaillat 7for himself and ,ms4        
,velzquez7 introduced the following     
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,small ,business  ,a      
,,bill  ,to codify the ,small ,business 
,administration's ,growth ,accelerator  
,fund ,competition1 and for other       
purposes4  #a4 ,growth ,accelerator     
,fund ,competition ,the ,small ,business
 ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #fca et seq47 is   
amended-- 7#a7 by redesignating section 
#di as section #ej2 and  7#b7 by        
inserting after section #dh the         
following3  #di4 ,growth ,accelerator   
,fund ,competition  7a7 ,in general     
,there is established a program within  
the ,small ,business ,administration to 
be known as the ,growth ,accelerator    
,fund ,competition under which the      
,administrator shall award prizes on a  
competitive basis to covered entities   
that--  7#a7 assist small business      

concerns with accessing capital and     
finding mentors and networking          
opportunities2 and  7#b7 advise small   
business concerns1 including advising on
 market analysis1 company strategy1     
revenue growth1 and securing funding4   
7b7 ,requirements ,except as otherwise  
provided in this section1 the           
,administrator shall carry out the      
program established under this section  
in accordance with the requirements of  
section #bd of the ,stevenson-,wydler   
,technology ,innovation ,act of #aihj   
7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #cgai74  7c7 ,application
 ,a prize only may be awarded to a      
covered entity that submits to the      
,administrator an application at such   
time1 in such manner1 and containing    
such information as the ,administrator  
may require4  7d7 ,eligibility ,to be   
eligible to apply for a prize under this
 section1 a covered entity-- 7#a7 may   
not have an outstanding1 unresolved     
financial obligation to the ,federal    
,government2 and  7#b7 may not be       

currently suspended or debarred as      
specified under subpart #i4d of title   
#dh1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations 7or 
any successor regulation74  7e7         
,selection of covered entities ,from    
applications submitted under subsection 
7c71 the ,administrator shall select    
covered entities that will provide to   
small business concerns--  7#a7 regular 
networking opportunities1 including     
introductions to customers1 partners1   
suppliers1 advisory boards and other    
persons2  7#b7 mentorship opportunities1
 including advice on strategy1          
technology1 finances1 and               
commercialization assistance2  7#c7     
shared working environments focused on  
building a strong community amongst     
other similar small business concerns2  
7#d7 resources and co-working           
arrangements2  7#e7 opportunities to    
pitch ideas to investors and other      
capital formation opportunities2  7#f7  
small amounts of angel money1 seed      
capital1 or structured loans2 and  7#g7 

where appropriate1 assistance in        
securing funding under the ,,sbir       
program or the ,,sttr program           
established under section #i4  7f7      
,priority  7#a7 ,in general ,the        
,administrator1 in approving            
applications under this section1 shall  
give priority to applications that      
include methods to provide assistance   
and advice to small business concerns   
located in underserved communities1     
including--  7,a7 small business        
concerns owned and controlled by women2 
7,b7 small business concerns owned and  
controlled by veterans2 and  7,c7 small 
business concerns owned and controlled  
by socially and economically            
disadvantaged individuals 7as defined in
 section #h7;d77#c77;,c774  7#b7        
,allocation ,of prizes awarded to       
covered entities under this section in a
 fiscal year1 the ,administrator shall  
ensure that--  7,a7 not less than #bj   
percent of such covered entities will   
assist and advise small business        

concerns owned and controlled by women2 
and  7,b7 not less than #bj percent of  
such covered entities will assist and   
advise small business concerns owned and
 controlled by socially and economically
 disadvantaged individuals4  7g7        
,selection of small business concerns ,a
 covered entity that receives a prize   
under the ,growth ,accelerator ,fund    
,competition shall use a selective      
process to identify small business      
concerns to provide assistance and      
advice described under subsection 7a74  
7h7 ,development of metrics ,the        
,administrator shall develop metrics to 
evaluate the effectiveness and the      
benefit to the people of the ,united    
,states of the ,growth ,accelerator     
,fund ,competition that--  7#a7 are     
science-based and statistically driven2 
7#b7 reflect the mission of the         
,administration2 and  7#c7 include      
factors relating to the economic impact 
of the ,growth ,accelerator ,fund       
,competition4  7i7 ,covered entity      

defined ,in this section1 the term      
covered entity means a private entity   
that is incorporated in and maintains a 
primary place of business in the ,united
 ,states4  7j7 ,authorization of        
appropriations ,there are authorized to 
be appropriated to the ,administrator   
such sums as may be necessary to carry  
out the ,growth ,accelerator ,fund      
,competition4  4