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Contact Information: Click on Regional Offices Above Last Modified: 12/02/05 |
Native American Business Resources This section lists the different resources which Native Americans can utilize for growing or enhancing their small business. There are resources specific to tribal organization and membership and others that are available to all Native Americans regardless of location. This section focuses specifically on tools designed to assist and encourage entrepreneurs in Native American communities. RESOURCES AVAILABLE FOR TRIBAL MEMBERS is a listing that describes the resources available by tribe and links to their site if available. This list is a .pdf document readable with Adobe Acrobat Reader. A free download of Adobe Acrobat Reader is available at http://www.adobe.com RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO ALL NATIVE AMERICANS including financing and other programs specific for Native American business owners is listed below.
Native American Business Organizations National Indian Business Association, a web site designed to serve as an advocate for Native American businesses by providing business educational tools to support entrepreneurs. Web site: http://www.nibanetwork.org/ Practical uses of this site include:
The Native American Business Alliance has two basic missions: To facilitate mutually beneficial relationships between private and public businesses with Native American owned companies and to educate the communities on Native American culture, paving the way for future generations. Web site: http://www.native-american-bus.org/ Practical uses of this site include:
Native Workplace The primary focus for this site is to provide Native people a place to look for jobs within Native communities. This site matches companies and workers on or near Native communities. Practical uses of this site include:
Web site: http://www.gsa.gov Practical uses of this site include:
The links in this section will direct you to sites that are specifically designed to encourage and assist Native American and minority owned businesses pursue government contracting opportunities. Native American Procurement and Technical Assistance Center – UIDA Business Services. This site serves as an information center for Native American Small Businesses attempting to access government contracting opportunities. Web site: http://www.uida.org/mission.html Practical uses of this site include:
SBA 8(a) Business Development Program is intended to help small businesses be successful for the future. Companies like yours, just starting or in a growth stage, can benefit from the wide-range of services offered support for government contractors, access to capital, management and technical assistance, and export assistance — just to name a few. They accomplish their goal by building community-based small businesses, which in turn revitalizes neighborhoods, creates jobs, and encourages economic growth. SBA uses a number of assistance intervention tools, ranging from contract support to low-interest loans for site acquisition, construction, and the purchase of new or upgraded equipment. Practical uses of this site include:
SBA Office of Government Contracting (GC) works to create an environment for maximum participation by small, disadvantaged, and woman-owned businesses in federal government contract awards and large prime subcontract awards. GC advocates on behalf of small business in the federal procurement world. Web site: http://www.sba.gov/gcbd Practical uses of this site include:
First Nations Development Institute was founded in 1980 with the mission to assist Indigenous peoples to control and develop their assets and, through that control, build the capacity to direct their economic futures in ways that fit their cultures. Practical uses of this site include:
Minority Business Development Agency web site has tools for locating business related resources around the country. The Resource Locater is an Internet-based tool that allows Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) to search for business resources interactively on the Internet. The Resource Locater can help MBEs identify trade associations representing their industries, government licensing and permit offices, management and technical assistance providers, and a host of other resources quickly and efficiently. Web site: http://www.mbda.gov/ Practical uses of this site include:
Native American Finance Officers Association (NAFOA) is a national organization, founded in 1982 by a dedicated group of tribal finance officers who recognized a need for a forum to share financial information. The purpose of the Native American Finance Officers Association is to provide a professional organization dedicated to the improvement of the quality of financial and business management of Native American governments and businesses which will strengthen Tribal sovereignty through sound financial management. Web site: http://nafoa.org/ Practical uses of this site include:
FedBizOpps.gov is the single government point-of-entry (GPE) for Federal government procurement opportunities over $25,000. Government buyers are able to publicize their business opportunities by posting information directly to FedBizOpps via the Internet. Through one portal - FedBizOpps (FBO) - commercial vendors seeking Federal markets for their products and services can search, monitor and retrieve opportunities solicited by the entire Federal contracting community. Practical uses of this site include:
The Business Partner Network is the single source for vendor data for the Federal Government. The BPN is a search mechanism that provides unprecedented views into several key data bases across Federal Agencies. Practical uses of this site include:
The National Congress of American Indians was founded in 1944 and is the oldest and largest tribal government organization in the United States. NCAI serves as a forum for consensus-based policy development among its membership of over 250 tribal governments from every region of the country. Practical uses of this site include:
The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) responsibility is the administration and management of 55.7 million acres of land held in trust by the United States for American Indians, Indian tribes, and Alaska Natives. There are 562 federal recognized tribal governments in the United States. Developing forestlands, leasing assets on these lands, directing agricultural programs, protecting water and land rights, developing and maintaining infrastructure and economic development are all part of the agency's responsibility. In addition, the Bureau of Indian Affairs provides education services to approximately 48,000 Indian students. Practical uses of this site include:
This section contains links to the some of the more popular resources pertaining to Native American news and current events. You will find articles on social, governmental, economic, editorial, and legal matters. You will be able to read first hand the opinions and interpretations of how current events affect tribal governments and native people regionally and nationally. Practical uses of the sites below include:
American Indian Report is a monthly news magazine providing timely, in-depth and lively coverage of the issues that impact Native Americans and their communities. Web site: http://www.falmouthinstitute.com/air/air_about.html Indian Country Today is a national newspaper reporting on current events around the nation. Indianz.com is a site that reports on issues related to Native American tribes. Web site: http://www.indianz.com/ Grant Funding Truths and Resources There is a misconception that grants are available for starting a business. This myth is particularly strong among special populations such as minorities, women and veterans. Although there are grants available to tribes and non profits contributing to the well-being of tribal communities, there are not many grant funded opportunities for individuals wanting to start a business. There are several government agencies that provide grant funding for specific research proposals (see SBIR below) but these are generally for established businesses. The following resources will educate you on what grants are available from different branches of the federal government. Please note that these resources are FREE. Do not fall prey to those sites or solicitations that charge you to obtain the same information which the government provides for free. Also, be aware that legitimate government information is found at websites with the .gov extension not at a .com or .net, etc. FedGrants site contains a list of all federal government agencies and grant opportunities from the agencies. It contains a search capability that allows you to search for funding opportunities. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance gives you access to a database of all Federal programs available to State and local governments (including the District of Columbia); federally-recognized Indian tribal governments; Territories (and possessions) of the United States; domestic public, quasi-public, and private profit and nonprofit organizations and institutions; specialized groups; and individuals. Web site: http://www.cfda.gov Grants.gov allows organizations to electronically find and apply for competitive grant opportunities from all Federal grant-making agencies. Grants.gov is the single access point for over 900 grant programs offered by the 26 Federal grant-making agencies. Web site: http://www.grants.gov Small Business Innovation Research program was originally established in 1982 by the Small Business Innovation Development Act. Ten federal agencies set aside a portion of their extramural R&D budget each year to fund research proposals from small science and technology-based firms. This web site gives you access to the ten federal agencies that participate in the SBIR program. Web site: http://patapsco.nist.gov/ts_sbir/links.htm The local office in South Dakota that assists businesses with the SBIR program is located in at Dakota State University in Madison with a satellite at the School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City. Web site: http://www.sbir.dsu.edu The U.S. Small Business Administration does not offer grants to start or expand small businesses, although it does offer a wide variety of loan programs. (See http://www.sba.gov/financing for more information) While SBA does offer some grant programs, these are generally designed to expand and enhance organizations that provide small business management, technical, or financial assistance. These grants generally support non-profit organizations, intermediary lending institutions, and state and local governments. The Small Business Development Center is one program which receives SBA grant funds.
This section links you to sites that address the complex issue of taxation on and off Indian reservations. Federally recognized Indian tribes are sovereign nations that have a unique relationship with the United States government. Through treaties, the federal government has a trust responsibility to provide certain services to Indian Tribes. As sovereign nations, tribes are not subject to most state taxes and regulations. Indian tribes do however negotiate compacts with states as it relates to gaming, cigarettes, liquor and gasoline. In most cases Native Americans are not taxed on treaty-related rights such as fishing and hunting. Practical uses of the sites below include:
Internal Revenue Service - This site contains a list of the most frequently asked questions regarding taxation issues for Indian tribes and Native Americans. These frequently asked questions and answers are provided for general information only and should not be cited as any type of legal authority. They are designed to provide the user with information required to respond to general inquiries. Due to the uniqueness and complexities of Indian law and Federal tax law, it is imperative to ensure a full understanding of the specific question presented, and to perform the requisite research to ensure a correct response is provided. Empowerment Zones - This web site describes the areas that have been designated empowerment zones and explains the tax benefits available to businesses in those zones. The empowerment zone designations will generally remain in effect until the end of 2009. Many Indian reservations are considered empowerment zones. Web site: http://www.irs.gov/publications/p954/ar02.html This site is the national Indian law library. It contains several publications on taxation in Indian Country. The SBDC also offers general business information and links that can be helpful as you develop your business idea.
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