SBA 7(j) Management & Technical Assistance — Empower to Grow (E2G)
U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)
Free training & consulting
Free coaching to win contracts
The 7(j) Management and Technical Assistance program — rebranded Empower to Grow (E2G) — provides free business training and one-on-one consulting to help eligible small businesses become procurement-ready for federal, state, and local contracts. Authorized under Section 7(j) of the Small Business Act, SBA delivers services directly and through grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts with qualified providers (Assistance Listing 59.007). Eligible businesses include 8(a) Business Development participants, firms eligible to receive 8(a) contracts, and small businesses located in areas of high unemployment or low income (or owned by low-income individuals). Services span strategic and operational planning, accounting and financial analysis, marketing, compliance, cybersecurity, e-commerce, and government-contract bidding — including the Federal Market Acceleration Program (FedMAP), a three-month intensive with one-on-one coaching. In FY2022 more than 14,000 small businesses received 7(j) training and technical assistance. There is no cost to eligible participants.
- Funding type
- Program
- Level
- Federal
- Amount range
- Free training & consulting
- Realistic amount
- No grant to the business. The realized value is free expert consulting and training that wou…
- Deadline
- Rolling — enroll anytime
- Status
- active
- States
- Nationwide
- Payment model
- in-kind
Who qualifies
- Must be a small business under SBA size standards
- AND at least one of: a participant in the 8(a) Business Development program; eligible to receive 8(a) contracts; located in an area of high unemployment or low income; or owned by low-income individuals
- Business should be (or be working toward becoming) procurement-ready for government contracts
How to apply
-
1
Confirm eligibility
Verify your firm is small under SBA size standards and meets at least one 7(j) eligibility basis (8(a) participant or eligible; located in a high-unemployment/low-income area; or owned by low-income individuals).
~1 hrs
-
2
Contact SBA's Office of Business Development
Email e2g@sba.gov (or work through the SBA Learning Platform) to express interest and confirm which services and cohorts you qualify for.
~1 hrs
-
3
Enroll in courses and consulting
Access free courses on the SBA Learning Platform and request one-on-one consulting. For intensive support, apply to a scheduled cohort such as FedMAP.
~2 hrs
-
4
Complete the engagement and apply the learning
Work through the training and coaching, then translate it into SAM.gov registration, a capability statement, certifications, and active bidding.
~1 hrs
Treat 7(j)/E2G as the free on-ramp that makes the certification programs (8(a), WOSB, SDVOSB) actually pay off — use the one-on-one consulting to build your capability statement and SAM.gov profile before you certify, so you can bid the day your certification lands. The FedMAP intensive is the highest-value piece; ask specifically about it rather than only browsing the self-serve courses.
Deadline & timing
Services are available year-round to eligible firms; interested businesses contact SBA's Office of Business Development at e2g@sba.gov. Specific cohorts (e.g., the FedMAP three-month intensive) run on scheduled intakes.
Programs that stack well
- SBA 8(a) Business Development Program
- SBA Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB / EDWOSB) Federal Contract Program
- SBA Veteran Small Business Certification (VetCert) — VOSB / SDVOSB
- APEX Accelerators (formerly PTAC) — Government Contracting Assistance
- SBA Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) Network
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Last reviewed 2026. GrantCompass is an independent funding-discovery tool and is not affiliated with any government agency. Always confirm details on the official program page.