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Returning from Rosh Hashana observations, late Tuesday night, the Senate voted to advance a 10-week stopgap funding bill to fund the government with a continuing resolution (CR) through Dec. 16, 2022. In addition to providing federal solvency (at least on paper) and keeping the government open beyond this weekend, the text includes provisions $12.4 billion in aid to Ukraine – nearly $1 billion more than requested by the President. Lawmakers have until Friday night to pass the stopgap legislation, but, with a last-minute request to strike energy-permitting provisions initially insisted upon by West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin (D) from the CR text, the upper chamber secured the 60 votes needed to overcome a procedural hurdle to advance the bill. Republicans say their position of the proposal is stronger with a bill “that is as clean as possible” – meaning without the Manchin provisions. Top Senate GOP appropriator Richard Shelby (Ala.) said he would oppose forms of the stopgap package with the energy-permitting provisions attached. Biden’s requests for $22.4 billion to COVID resources and $4.5 billion to respond to monkeypox cases were not addressed in the legislation poised for a vote this evening, and, while Democrats claim the bill as a great reflection of bipartisanship, its final terms remain largely uncertain. Delays from infighting over special interests for a pipeline project in West Virginia in the Senate aside, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she is prepared to have the House move quickly on the stopgap bill: “We are prepared to take it up,” Pelosi said in a press conference last week. “We have same-day authority already built in, so we don’t have to delay it in any way for procedural purposes.” Follow @NSBAAdvocate and check back here for the latest.

Earlier this week, NSBA hosted its annual Washington, D.C. fly-in, the Small Business Washington Presentation. More than 150 small-business leaders from across the country convened in the nation’s capital to discuss policy, small-business priorities, hear from policymakers and meet with their lawmakers. From L-R: NSBA Members Michael Koslow, Monica Robles, Isabel Chen, Justin Schardin (Senator Feinstein’s Legislative Assistant), Marilyn Wilson Lund, Elizabeth Stirling, Ana Bradfield, and Houman Ghajari The event kicked off with the NSBA Lew Shattuck Small Business Advocate of the Year Award luncheon where ML Mackey of Beacon Interactive Systems of Waltham, Mass., was recognized as the 2022 award winner for her decades of outspoken advocacy efforts on behalf of America’s small businesses. In addition to honoring Mackey, NSBA also recognized finalists: Maureen Bakewell Chamberlin, of Embassy Global, LLC in Hamburg, New York; Jill Castilla of Citizens Bank of Edmond in Edmond, Oklahoma; Mark Ware of Mission Point Resort in Mackinac Island, Michigan; and Niesha Wolfe of The Gingham Café in Clarksville, Tennessee. NSBA also awarded Kelly Willenberg of Greenville, South Carolina its inaugural Rising Star honor aimed at early recognition of the future leaders of small business. Attendees also heard from Steven Clemons, founding editor-at-large for SEMAFOR, former editor-at-large of The Hill, and past Washington editor-at-large of The Atlantic, who shared his insight on politics in Washington, D.C., and brought his unique insight and humor to an important discussion. Following the luncheon, the NSBA delegation received a policy update on small business priority issues, including: expiring tax cuts, the Corporate Transparency Act, key vacancies at the U.S. Small Business Administration, and increased enforcement from the IRS to close the so-called tax gap. During the policy sessions, attendees heard from experts, including Bob Carroll, former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Tax Analysis of the U.S. Treasury Department. Next, the delegation participated in a high-level briefing from the White House, featuring senior advisor Bharat Ramamurti, Deputy Director of the National Economic Council, and then participated in a candid roundtable discussion with top small-business advocates consisting of Rhett Buttle and John Stanford, Co-Executive Directors of the Small Business Roundtable; Talisha Bekavac, Executive Vice President of the U.S. Black Chambers; and Karen Kerrigan, President & CEO of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council. The panel discussed the state of small business and the important role we play in politics and elections, as well as early indicators of NSBA’s 2022 Small Business Survey of Politics, which is set to be released in the coming weeks. Kicking off day two of events, NSBA held its Congressional Breakfast, where attendees heard from key Members of Congress on their priorities and efforts to support small business. NSBA leadership also provided a crash-course in lobbying and how best to get their message across in their forthcoming Capitol Hill meetings. NSBA closed out its information programming with an high-level procurement roundtable featuring Michael Parrish, Chief Acquisition Officer for the Department of Veterans Affairs, David Busigo, Jr., Senior Advisor at the Department of Defense Office of Small Business Programs, Major Clark, Acting Chief Counsel for the SBA Office of Advocacy, Jere Glover, Executive Director of the Small Business Technology Council, and Kea Matory, Director of Legislative Policy for the National Defense Industrial Association. The speakers provided a wealth of information on contracting policy, as well as tips for how small businesses can start and grow federal procurement. The NSBA delegation then took to Capitol Hill for Congressional visits with their Members of Congress and their staff where they discussed the most timely issues facing America’s small businesses today. From L-R: Alexa Rae Kramer of the Small Business Association of Michigan, Charles J. Cohen of Cybernet Systems Corporation, Rep. Jack Bergman, Raffaele Mautone of AaDya (ah-DAY-ah) Security, Rosemary Moore of Sharpe & Associates Insurance Agency, Mark Ware of Mission Point Resort, and Milan Gandhi of Charter Township of Northville. The next event NSBA will host is our Small Business Congress in February, 2022 – stay tuned to www.NSBA.biz for details.

Late Wednesday evening the Senate passed a bill reauthorizing the SBIR/STTR programs, clearing the biggest hurdle for reauthorization. This legislation moves the program forward to avoid a catastrophic program shut-down and is a significant victory for small business. Introduced by Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee Chair Ben Cardin (D-Md.), S. 4900 will extend the programs for three years, moving the expiration date to Sept. 30, 2025. It also makes changes to the program that focus on research security, protecting SBIR technology from theft by China and other adversarial governments, and increased standards for Phase 1 to 2 transition and Commercialization for multiple award winners. The next step in the process will be the House taking up and passing the bill, which is expected to occur in the next week or so. S. 4900 SBIR and STTR Extension Act of 2022 Bill Text S. 4900 Section-by-Section Summary There will be an increase in reporting requirements and paperwork burden imposed by the research security provisions that firms will need to be aware of. In addition, firms with over 50 Phase 1 awards over the past five years will need to show a 50 percent transition rate to Phase 2. Firms with 50 Phase 2 awards over the past 10 years will need to show $250,000 in sales or investment for every Phase 2, and Firms with over 100 Phase 2 awards over the past 10 years will need to show $450,000 in sales or investment for every Phase 2. The consequence for missing these benchmarks will be a limit of 20 Phase 1 awards and Direct to Phase 2 awards per year. NSBA and its Small Business Technology Council (SBTC) has been instrumental in helping to negotiate and move forward reauthorizing language to prevent a program shutdown. Stay tuned in the coming months for more detailed guidance and clarity for SBIR firms on what these changes mean, and how firms can come into compliance. SBTC will also work with SBA and the agencies to better understand how these changes will be implemented, and what they mean for small businesses. NSBA and SBTC is closely monitoring progress of S. 4900, as well as maintaining all options for an SBIR/STTR reauthorization. Short of a permanent passage, extensions of SBIR/STTR are vital to ensuring opportunities for small business for research, technology, and beyond. While this bill falls short of long-term priorities for NSBA and SBTC—it includes a three-year reauthorization vs. a permanent solution and institutes new burdensome reporting requirements—it takes important and necessary steps forward to ensure the near-term stability and predictability of the program. Follow @NSBAAdvocate and check back here for the latest.

Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) and the U.S. Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) announced partnerships aimed at helping small and disadvantaged business access the resources they need to be able to succeed and compete in the infrastructure space. Announcing the partnerships today at DOT’s Headquarters during a Business Forum focused on small and disadvantaged business access to capital, resources, and relationships, DOT is reportedly on target achieve 20 percent of federal contracts awarded to small and disadvantaged businesses. NSBA is supportive of efforts to expand opportunities for small businesses of all types to participate in relevant federal procurement processes. We look forward to seeing even greater opportunities and achievements for small business in the federal sector. Click here for more.

SBA Opens Awards Process NSBA members are award-worthy year-round, and we were thrilled to be able to recognize a few small business advocates last week at our annual Washington Presentation fly-in, but the accolades and recognition doesn’t stop there: applications for the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) National Small Business Week awards are currently open. SBA’s Small Business Week—which will be celebrating its 50th year in 2023—is a chance for small-business owners to receive the recognition they deserve. Honoring “critical contributions of America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners,” there are a number of categories to apply for. There are also a number of opportunities for recognition from local SBA chapters/ Please click here for more details.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Sept. 15, 2022 NSBA Names Mark Ware a Finalist for Advocate of the Year Award Washington, D.C. — On Wednesday, Sept. 14, Mark Ware, of Mission Point Resort on Mackinac Island, Michigan was recognized as a finalist for the National Small Business Association’s 2022 Lewis Shattuck Small Business Advocate of the Year Award. The honor recognizes small-business owners who go above and beyond in advocating for policies to improve America’s small-business community. “Mark Ware has a passion for small business and helping people. Not only did he usher his resort through the pandemic—something many in his industry were unable to do—he increased his advocacy efforts and worked tirelessly to expand opportunities for other small businesses,” stated NSBA President and CEO Todd McCracken. “Mark has utilized his business to spread awareness of the challenges facing small businesses in his industry and has taken advantage of every opportunity to educate lawmakers and candidates on small business.” Ware’s business acumen allowed Mission Point Resort to experience revenue and employment growth during the COVID-19 pandemic, bolstering Mackinac’s local economy. An active member of NSBA affiliate the Small Business Association of Michigan, Ware has been an advocate for small business staffing issues in rural communities and is also working with federal lawmakers on streamlining the H2B visa process. “Mark has successfully blended his business and his advocacy work—and it’s proved to be of great benefit to all small businesses,” stated NSBA Board Chair Mike Stanek of Hunt Imaging, LLC in Berea, Ohio. “His dedication to small-business advocacy at every turn makes him an outstanding advocate.” In addition to honoring Ware, NSBA also recognized ML Mackey of Beacon Interactive Systems in Waltham, Massachusetts as the overall award winner and finalists: Maureen Bakewell Chamberlin, of Embassy Global, LLC in Hamburg, New York; Jill Castilla of Citizens Bank of Edmond in Edmond, Oklahoma; and Niesha Wolfe of The Gingham Café in Clarksville, Tennessee. NSBA also awarded Kelly Willenberg of Greenville, South Carolina as its Rising Star. Celebrating 85 years in operation, NSBA is a staunchly nonpartisan organization advocating on behalf of America’s entrepreneurs. NSBA's 65,000 members represent every state and every industry in the U.S., and we are proud to be the nation’s first small-business advocacy organization. Please visit www.nsba.biz or follow us at @NSBAAdvocate. Contact | Molly Day | 202-552-2904 | mday@nsba.biz ###

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Sept. 15, 2022 NSBA Names Niesha Wolfe a Finalist for Advocate of the Year Award Washington, D.C. — On Wednesday, Sept. 14, Niesha Wolfe of The Gingham Café in Clarksville Tennessee was recognized as a finalist for the National Small Business Association’s 2022 Lewis Shattuck Small Business Advocate of the Year Award. The honor was given in conjunction with NSBA’s annual event, the Washington Presentation, and recognizes small-business owners who go above and beyond in advocating for policies to improve America’s small-business community. “Niesha Wolfe has been an outspoken advocate for small businesses for years. Her work throughout the pandemic in particular is to be commended – her efforts to help keep restaurants and other businesses open in the face of unprecedented hardship helped countless small businesses across Tennessee open,” stated NSBA President and CEO Todd McCracken. “Niesha’s vision and dedication to helping other small businesses thrive is an asset to us all.” Niesha Wolfe runs The Gingham Café, a beloved local eatery and community gathering place, where she spent hours educating policymakers on what small businesses and restaurants truly needed during the pandemic. She founded the Clarksville Independent Restaurant Owner’s Association in 2018 and was the first woman to chair the Clarksville-Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce. Niesha dedication has led to countless accolades, including the Clarksville’s Athena Award and the Clarksville-Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce’s Women in Business Award. “Niesha Wolfe is an outspoken advocate on small-business issues, cultivating important relationships with policymakers in Tennessee and Washington, D.C., and I am honored to give her this award,” stated NSBA Board Chair Mike Stanek of Hunt Imaging, LLC in Berea, Ohio. “Her tenacity and dedication has been instrumental in helping small businesses survive these past 3 years.” In addition to honoring Wolfe, NSBA also recognized ML Mackey of Beacon Interactive Systems in Waltham, Massachusetts as the overall award winner and finalists: Maureen Bakewell Chamberlin, of Embassy Global, LLC in Hamburg, New York; Jill Castilla of Citizens Bank of Edmond in Edmond, Oklahoma; and Mark Ware of Mission Point Resort in Mackinac Island, Michigan. NSBA also awarded Kelly Willenberg of Greenville, South Carolina as its Rising Star. Celebrating 85 years in operation, NSBA is a staunchly nonpartisan organization advocating on behalf of America’s entrepreneurs. NSBA's 65,000 members represent every state and every industry in the U.S., and we are proud to be the nation’s first small-business advocacy organization. Please visit www.nsba.biz or follow us at @NSBAAdvocate. Contact | Molly Day | 202-552-2904 | mday@nsba.biz ###

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Sept. 15, 2022 NSBA Names Jill Castilla a Finalist for Advocate of the Year Award Washington, D.C. — On Wednesday, Sept. 14, Jill Castilla, President, CEO and Vice Chairman of Citizens Bank of Edmond in Edmond, Oklahoma was recognized as a finalist for the National Small Business Association’s 2022 Lewis Shattuck Small Business Advocate of the Year Award. The honor was given in conjunction with NSBA’s annual event, the Washington Presentation, and recognizes small-business owners who go above and beyond in advocating for policies to improve America’s small-business community. “Jill Castilla created a critical synergy between her business and advocacy work at a time when small business needed it most,” stated NSBA President and CEO Todd McCracken. “Jill’s innovative approach to ensuring small businesses hard-hit by the pandemic had the support and capital they needed is admirable and a stellar example of why community bankers are so vitally important to America’s small businesses.” Castilla’s small business advocacy shone during the COVID-19 pandemic, during which she partnered with celebrity entrepreneur Mark Cuban to create a 90-day overdraft program for all small business clients with Citizens Bank. Castilla’s idea was then implemented by over 400 other bank branches nationwide. She has a strong working relationship with the Oklahoma congressional delegation, and has pursued meaningful action on PPP loan forgiveness, loan maximum reinstatement for SBA’s EIDL program and the elimination of lending minimums for the Main Street Lending program. “Jill’s expert knowledge of small-business lending has been a tremendous asset not only to businesses in Oklahoma, but across the country,” stated NSBA Board Chair Mike Stanek of Hunt Imaging, LLC in Berea, Ohio. “Her ingenuity and persistence are admirable.” In addition to honoring Castilla, NSBA also recognized ML Mackey of Beacon Interactive Systems in Waltham, Massachusetts as the overall award winner and finalists: Maureen Bakewell Chamberlin, of Embassy Global, LLC in Hamburg, New York; Mark Ware of Mission Point Resort in Mackinac Island, Michigan; and Niesha Wolfe of The Gingham Café in Clarksville, Tennessee. NSBA also awarded Kelly Willenberg of Greenville, South Carolina as its Rising Star. Celebrating 85 years in operation, NSBA is a staunchly nonpartisan organization advocating on behalf of America’s entrepreneurs. NSBA's 65,000 members represent every state and every industry in the U.S., and we are proud to be the nation’s first small-business advocacy organization. Please visit www.nsba.biz or follow us at @NSBAAdvocate. Contact | Molly Day | 202-552-2904 | mday@nsba.biz ###

On Wednesday, Sept. 14, NSBA named ML Mackey, CEO Beacon Interactive Systems in Waltham, Massachusetts, the 2022 Lewis Shattuck Small Business Advocate of the Year. The honor was given in conjunction with NSBA’s annual event, the Washington Presentation, and recognizes small-business owners who go above and beyond in advocating for policies to improve America’s small-business community. “ML Mackey is one of the most dedicated, passionate advocates for small business I’ve ever known. Her commitment to small-business issues and focus on bipartisanship has been a tremendous asset to NSBA and has resulted in tangible and widespread improvements for all small businesses,” stated NSBA President and CEO Todd McCracken. “I’m honored to recognize her with this award for a lifetime of championing entrepreneurship.” Mackey co-founded Beacon Interactive in 1994 and along with her partner has grown the business to be a valued non-traditional defense contractor leveraging commercial sector expertise to address critical national security needs. Focused on the transformative effects of digitizing operations, Beacon’s products drive efficiency and visibility ensuring safe, secure and sustainable outcomes. She has been active with NSBA for two decades, is on the Board of the National Defense Industrial Association and has led the charge on a variety of issues on Capitol Hill, including SBIR and NDAA reauthorization, as well as improved access to capital for small businesses. “ML is the example of advocacy we all seek to emulate. She is tireless, passionate, pragmatic, inclusive and never shies away from the hard questions,” stated NSBA Board Chair Mike Stanek of Hunt Imaging, LLC in Berea, Ohio. “She is the model of a small-business advocate and a fitting leader for this year’s impressive group of small-business award winners.” In addition to honoring Mackey, NSBA also recognized finalists: Maureen Bakewell Chamberlin, of Embassy Global, LLC in Hamburg, New York; Jill Castilla of Citizens Bank of Edmond in Edmond, Oklahoma; Mark Ware of Mission Point Resort in Mackinac Island, Michigan; and Niesha Wolfe of The Gingham Café in Clarksville, Tennessee. NSBA also awarded Kelly Willenberg of Greenville, South Carolina as its Rising Star. The awards process for 2022 is now closed, but NSBA will begin accepting applications for 2023 in early-February, and check back for the latest here!

While so many of America’s small businesses are still feeling the effects of the pandemic, we as a collective group are doing the hard and important work of marching forward. NSBA just wrapped up our first in-person Washington Presentation in three years, and it was invigorating. We shared two days together in Washington D.C. talking policy, hearing from Beltway insiders and getting reacquainted with each other. Despite changes to the program and how we all do business, one thing hasn’t changed: NSBA is committed to being your voice in Washington, D.C. Spending time with you all has energized all of us on staff. NSBA is in the process of cultivating new leaders who will serve our association throughout 2023 and continue building on the progress we’ve made in the past year. On Tuesday, Nov. 15, NSBA will hold a meeting to nominate and vote on the organization’s leadership for the coming year.   All NSBA members are welcome to participate in the meeting. If you’re interested, please click here to be included in our list of members who would like to learn more.   Your involvement and activism is what makes NSBA so effective, and on behalf of the NSBA staff and 2022 leadership, we thank you for your continued support of NSBA. Onward, Todd Todd McCracken NSBA President and CEO

COVID tested our country in countless ways. However, in spite of some shortcomings of the efforts to support those struggling – especially small businesses, and especially minority-owned small businesses – takeaways from these mistakes are laying a strong foundation for the future: According to a recent report by Bloomberg, featured additionally in the Coleman Report, 2021 Paycheck Protection Program funds “saved smaller, more vulnerable small businesses.” In the fog of the economy’s war against COVID, the U.S. enrolled a number of large commercial banks to distribute PPP loans. This was reportedly done “in order to deploy funds as fast as possible,” and proved to be efficiently functional; however, as quickly as banks were able to work by their pre-existing relationships shared with businesses across the country, efficiency ultimately fell short of providing even impacts. Working quickly, these big banks and their pre-existing relationships caused some skewed distribution of the PPP loans, with “many smaller businesses shut out of the first tranche of loans in April 2020.” Attempting to reconcile this front-loaded depletion of the first round of funds within the first two weeks of the PPP, following some rule changes on the federal level, “dozens of new lenders joined PPP” distribution efforts, including Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and online fintech lenders. “As a result, large commercial banks originated fewer PPP loans,” and the new lenders significantly increased PPP distributions to small businesses. Notable shifts by the increased demographics of lenders include a nine percent increase of PPP loans to small businesses from 2020 to 2021, as well as a 77 percent increase of PPP loans to self-employed individuals over the same period. Even with the smallest average loan size of $17,000, beauty salons reportedly accrued the most additional access to loans by shifts of the variety of lenders of PPP funds, followed by taxi services, beef cattle ranching and farming, full-service restaurants, offices of lawyers, and religious organizations, respectively. NSBA stands by common sense safeguards to protect small businesses on all fronts, particularly for federal programs designed to support our community. Connect with NSBA to share your Small Business Story, join our fight for a strong small business community, and read the full report here.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Sept. 15, 2022 NSBA Names Kelly Willenberg NSBA’s Rising Star for Advocacy Washington, D.C. — On Wednesday, Sept. 14, Kelly Willenberg of Kelly Willenberg, LLC in Greenville, South Carolina was given NSBA’s Rising Star for Advocacy Award. The honor was given in conjunction with NSBA’s Advocate of the Year Awards at its annual event, the Washington Presentation, and recognizes small-business owners who go above and beyond in advocating for policies to improve America’s small-business community. “I am honored to recognize Kelly Willenberg for her strength and persistence as NSBA’s inaugural Rising Star Award recipient,” stated NSBA President and CEO Todd McCracken. “Kelly is a passionate and accomplished advocate on the local and state levels, and I anticipate ongoing success and growth as she continues her advocacy efforts.” Willenberg has built a business around her dedication to helping people through providing healthcare compliance services to clients nationwide. Willenberg serves on the South Carolina Small Business Regulatory Review Committee and the South Carolina Nurses Association Board. After the tragic loss of her husband to a distracted driver, Willenberg has spearheaded efforts to champion a hands-free bill to eliminate distracted driving and create safer streets throughout South Carolina. As a Palmetto Cycling Coalition Board member, Willenberg has helped in successfully advocating for the adoption of SCDOT’s Departmental Directive for Complete Streets. “Kelly is the embodiment of entrepreneurship. She is passionate, thoughtful and harnessed a deep tragedy to push forward and make improvements in her community to prevent others from sharing a similar loss,” stated NSBA Board Chair Mike Stanek of Hunt Imaging, LLC in Berea, Ohio. “Kelly’s selflessness and persistence makes her a perfect recipient of our first ever Rising Star Award.” In addition to honoring Willenberg, NSBA also recognized ML Mackey of Beacon Interactive Systems in Waltham, Massachusetts as the overall award winner and finalists: Maureen Bakewell Chamberlin, of Embassy Global, LLC in Hamburg, New York; Jill Castilla of Citizens Bank of Edmond in Edmond, Oklahoma; Mark Ware of Mission Point Resort in Mackinac Island, Michigan; and Niesha Wolfe of The Gingham Café in Clarksville, Tennessee. Celebrating 85 years in operation, NSBA is a staunchly nonpartisan organization advocating on behalf of America’s entrepreneurs. NSBA's 65,000 members represent every state and every industry in the U.S., and we are proud to be the nation’s first small-business advocacy organization. Please visit www.nsba.biz or follow us at @NSBAAdvocate. Contact | Molly Day | 202-552-2904 | mday@nsba.biz ###