The Utah Small Business Credit Initiative (USBCI) is excited to announce the upcoming launch of its crucial Technical Assistance (TA) program in January 2026. This program will provide Utah small businesses with the expertise necessary to secure funding and achieve sustainable growth, including accounting, financial planning, and legal guidance.
Following a successful public Request for Proposal process, it finalized vendor selection and contracted with three highly specialized organizations. These diverse partnerships ensure comprehensive and equitable support for entrepreneurs across the entire state, strengthening the USBCI program’s operational backbone. The services detailed below represent their existing, proven capabilities, with select offerings tailored explicitly for the USBCI TA program, while others complement it through their established support networks.
USBCI has contracted with the following TA partners:
The Suazo Business Center: Supporting Disadvantaged Entrepreneurs
The Suazo Business Center is a vital, mission-driven resource supporting economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs in launching and growing successful businesses. Its approach is rooted in a legacy of personal commitment, honoring Pete Suazo, who helped the center’s founder, Gladys Gonzalez, start her first U.S. business.
The Suazo Business Center brings a full spectrum of services that directly align with the TA program’s goals of achieving financial and funding readiness:
- Advising: Expert bilingual consultants offer essential financial health, business planning, and registration guidance — all critical steps toward becoming capital-ready
- Education: Courses that provide in-depth training to build foundational entrepreneurial skills
- Loans: It actively facilitates finding optimal financial assistance solutions, directly supporting clients in securing the capital needed to start or expand
The Suazo Business Center is a crucial hub for helping underserved entrepreneurs build solid financial foundations and transform their passion into a sustainable lifestyle.
Women’s Business Center of Utah: Statewide Empowerment
The Women’s Business Center of Utah (WBCUtah) is a trusted, statewide organization dedicated to helping Utah women build confidence, create opportunities, and succeed in business ownership. Established in 1997 as a public-private partnership, WBCUtah has expanded its reach, operating a second office in Cedar City and actively serving all 29 counties across the state.
The organization will contribute significantly to the TA program by leveraging its accessible, personalized model and broad service offerings:
- One-On-One Advising: Personalized advising guides women through growth from the startup phase, helping them prepare for funding applications and securing capital
- Comprehensive Training: Training is available virtually and in person, including expert-led workshops and an Online Academy for self-paced learning
- Accessibility: By meeting clients where they are — virtually or locally — WBCUtah ensures maximum participation and impact throughout the state, promoting an inclusive business environment
Guided by core values of trust, compassion, and collaboration, the organization actively advocates for a stronger, more inclusive business landscape.
Small Business Consulting: Institutional Expertise
Small Business Consulting (SBC Consulting) is a specialized firm that provides centralized expert consulting and technical assistance to the business support organizations and financial institutions that administer programs like USBCI. Its mission is to “help great organizations help small businesses.”
SBC Consulting’s institutional experience and comprehensive service range provide critical, specialized administrative and technical support for the USBCI program’s implementation:
- SSBCI Program Support: The company leverages expertise from supporting clients administering State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) programs and other state-level lending initiatives throughout the U.S.
- Specialized Training Capacity: It offers high-demand consulting services like QuickBooks Training and Financial Literacy, and Business Plan Creation, which can be deployed to the TA program’s beneficiaries
- Administrative Efficiency: SBC Consulting reduces the administrative burden on the USBCI program team by handling data entry and providing essential data-driven impact reporting, which is critical for demonstrating the TA program’s success and securing future funding
With a ready-to-work, scalable team, SBC Consulting ensures the efficient and high-impact delivery of the specialized consulting required to drive job creation and capital infusion across the state.
This strategically curated group — combining deep localized community support, statewide empowerment for women, and national institutional expertise — ensures the USBCI TA program will be robust, equitable, and effective. These three partners will play a vital role in helping Utah’s small businesses secure capital, create jobs, and build a stronger, more inclusive economy.