Prime Highlights
- SBA is actively working with Senator Risch to establish Idaho’s first dedicated Veteran Business Outreach Center (VBOC).
- The center would help veterans, service members, and military spouses start and grow businesses through training, mentorship, and business planning support.
Key Facts
- Idaho has approximately 12,000 veteran-owned businesses but currently lacks its own dedicated VBOC.
- The proposed center would expand SBA support for Idaho’s 120,000 veterans and strengthen the state’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Background
The federal Small Business Administration is actively working to establish a new Idaho based office dedicated to supporting veterans, military members and their spouses, following a request from U.S. Senator Jim Risch.
Risch, an Idaho Republican, wrote to Small Business Administration Administrator Kelly Loeffler asking the agency to create Idaho’s first dedicated Veteran Business Outreach Center.
He said the nation’s service members represent the best of America and stressed the importance of ensuring they have full access to resources that help translate military service into entrepreneurship.
Veteran Business Outreach Centers help veterans, service members and their families start or grow small businesses through transition classes, entrepreneurial workshops, business plan support and mentorship.
According to the agency, 31 organizations currently operate under cooperative agreements with the Small Business Administration to serve as outreach centers. While some states such as Florida, North Carolina and Arizona have dedicated centers, Idaho does not.
Risch’s letter noted that Idaho had previously relied on a regional center based in Washington state, which he said failed to adequately prioritize or support Idahoans. A spokesperson from his office did not explain why the Washington center stopped serving Idaho.
Risch’s Communications Director, Madison Hardy, said Idaho veterans currently receive business support services through the Montana based Big Sky Economic Development Authority outreach center, adding that Risch continues working closely with the Small Business Administration as it evaluates expanding services in Idaho.
Risch said Idaho is home to 12,000 veteran-owned businesses. A Small Business Administration spokesperson confirmed the agency is actively working with Risch’s team to establish a center in the state, adding that it looks forward to expanding its field presence to serve Idaho’s 120,000 veterans.
