Supply Chain Acceleration and Logistics Enablement (SCALE) Program

The U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Office of Investment and Innovation has issued a funding opportunity announcement (No. SBA-OIIGA-26-001) for the Fiscal Year 2026 Supply Chain Acceleration and Logistics Enablement (SCALE) Program. Funded through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026, the program allocates a total of $9 million to support growth accelerators, non-profits, and public or private entities that provide technical assistance, alignment, and training to small business suppliers operating within strategically critical industries. SBA expects to award approximately 20 grants of up to $500,000 each over a 24-month period of performance starting September 30, 2026. Eligible applicants must focus their proposals on one of six priority industry supply chains: advanced manufacturing; biotechnology/biomanufacturing; defense industrial base; energy/critical materials; food and agriculture; or transportation, logistics, and industrial infrastructure. Funding must be used to address supply chain bottlenecks, build supplier readiness, and expand small business participation in key markets. Applications must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov by July 28, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Proposals will be evaluated on a 100-point scale, with up to 80 points awarded for the technical approach and 20 points for organizational qualifications. Preference will be given to proposals that maximize the impact of grant funds and to organizations with lower indirect costs. Recipients are subject to quarterly financial and performance reporting requirements via GrantSolutions.gov throughout the project period.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Investment and Innovation has issued Funding Opportunity No. SBA-OIIGA-26-001 for the FY 2026 Supply Chain Acceleration and Logistics Enablement (SCALE) Program. Backed by a $9,000,000 appropriation from the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026, the program aims to fund growth accelerators and other eligible public, private, and nonprofit entities that assist small businesses in overcoming operational, technical, and market barriers within critical supply chains. The SBA expects to award approximately 20 grants of up to $500,000 each over a 24-month performance period beginning September 30, 2026. Eligible applicants must target one of six priority supply chain areas: advanced manufacturing; biotechnology/biomanufacturing; defense industrial base; energy/critical materials; food and agricultural systems; or transportation, logistics, and industrial infrastructure. Funding must be used for technical assistance, industry matchmaking, manufacturing modernization, and supplier readiness assessments. Proposals must be submitted through Grants.gov by August 7, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. ET (with a recommended posting date of July 28, 2026). Applications will be evaluated on a 100-point scale, heavily weighting the technical approach (80 points) and organizational qualifications (20 points). Consistent with federal grantmaking directives, the SBA will favor proposals that maximize direct program outcomes and feature lower indirect costs. Awardees will be subject to risk assessments and must submit quarterly financial and performance reports via GrantSolutions.