Colorado Small Business Development Center Network

What Colorado Small Business Development Center Network does

The Colorado Small Business Development Center Network (Colorado SBDC) is a publicly funded, quasi-governmental economic development program that provides no-cost business advising, low-cost workshops, and community resources to small businesses across the state of Colorado. It operates under a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration and is a formal partnership between the State of Colorado, the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, the SBA, Colorado institutions of higher education, local economic development organizations, and local chambers of commerce. The organization is headquartered at 1600 Broadway, Suite 2500, Denver, and serves its clients through a network of 13–14 regional centers spanning Aurora, Boulder, Colorado Springs, Durango, Fort Collins, Grand Junction, Greeley, Pueblo, the San Luis Valley, Thornton, and the Denver Metro area. It is accredited as a member of America's SBDC national network. The organization is not a commercial enterprise; it has no equity investors, no funding rounds, and no independent corporate status beyond its role as a state-administered public-private partnership.

Its core service offering is one-on-one confidential advising with certified business specialists, delivered alongside low-to-no-cost programs and events covering marketing, tax compliance, HR, business planning, capital access, and contract readiness. The portfolio is organized into Core Business Programs and Specialized Industry Programs, the latter including TechSource (with Ascent Workshops and the Tech Venture Accelerator), Child Care, Manufacturing resources, and a Business Recovery & Resiliency Guide. Service delivery is omnichannel: in-person at regional centers, via a statewide website portal for advising registration, and through phone/email intake. All advising is provided free of charge to businesses eligible for federally funded services, and pricing is therefore non-commercial; the underlying funding mechanism is federal and state appropriations routed through the SBA Cooperative Agreement and the Colorado OEDIT, rather than fee-based revenue. In 2024, the program reported advising 6,757 clients, serving 13,230 program attendees, facilitating $75.69 million in capital formation, $36.41 million in contract wins, $31.19 million in sales growth, 385 business starts, 788 jobs created, 763 jobs retained, and an estimated $251 million in statewide wages fueled, with $8.49 million in state income and sales tax revenue generated.

The underlying technology is not disclosed beyond a website portal and standard contact channels ([email protected], 303-860-5881); there is no proprietary software product, no mobile app, no published API, and no disclosed AI/ML capabilities. The competitive advantage is structural rather than technological: the combination of federal mandate, state-government embedding, statewide physical distribution, higher-education partnerships, and free pricing creates a moat that no fee-based consulting alternative can economically challenge. Customer concentration is low by design, as the program serves any eligible small business in Colorado on a horizontal basis across all industries and stages, with named success stories such as Ellis Canvas Tents (manufacturing/canvas products, Durango).

Name

Colorado Small Business Development Center Network

Legal name

Colorado Small Business Development Center Network

Website

https://coloradosbdc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Colorado Small Business Development Center Network is a publicly funded, quasi-governmental program that delivers free one-on-one business advising, workshops, and specialized programs to eligible small businesses across Colorado, operating through 13–14 regional centers under an SBA Cooperative Agreement.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding (SBA Cooperative Agreement): The Colorado SBDC is funded through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. Additional funding comes from the State of Colorado and the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. This is not a revenue-generating commercial entity but rather a publicly funded economic development program providing free and low-cost services to small businesses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Colorado SBDC delivers no-cost one-on-one confidential business advising from certified specialists and low-to-no-cost workshops and events to small businesses across Colorado. Services span business planning, marketing strategy, tax compliance, HR management, capital formation, and contract acquisition, and are delivered through a statewide network of regional centers. The portfolio also includes specialized industry programs such as TechSource, Ascent Workshops, and the Tech Venture Accelerator (TVX) for technology entrepreneurs.

Product overview

The Colorado Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is a network of 13 regional centers providing small business support services. The organization offers a unified service model centered on no-cost advising and low-cost programs/events. Key products include One-on-One Advising, Programs & Events (workshops on marketing, tax compliance, HR, business planning), and specialized industry programs including TechSource with Ascent Workshops and Tech Venture Accelerator (TVX). The portfolio spans core business programs and specialized industry programs, all delivered through regional center locations across Colorado.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• No-Cost Advising One-on-one confidential business advising with certified specialists providing long-term, industry-tailored business strategy. Available at no cost to any small business in Colorado eligible to receive federally funded services.
• Programs & Events Low-to-no-cost workshops and events covering business topics including marketing, tax compliance, HR, and business planning, delivered statewide through the regional center network.
• TechSource Specialized industry program providing technology-focused workshops and accelerator services for tech entrepreneurs and businesses in Colorado.
• Ascent Workshops Workshops within the TechSource program designed to support technology business development for Colorado entrepreneurs.
• Tech Venture Accelerator (TVX) Accelerator program within TechSource for technology startups and ventures in Colorado.

Quantifiable outcome

• $251 million in statewide wages generated by SBDC technical assistance in 2024
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Colorado SBDC is funded through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. This is the primary federal funding relationship that enables the delivery of no-cost business advising services to small businesses in Colorado.
• Colorado Office of Economic Development and International TradecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level partnership providing funding and strategic alignment with Colorado's economic development priorities. The Colorado SBDC is a partnership between the State of Colorado and this office.
• Colorado's Institutions of Higher EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Colorado colleges and universities to deliver business development services and leverage academic expertise and resources.
• Local Economic Development OrganizationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with local economic development organizations across Colorado to extend reach and provide locally-relevant business support services.
• Local Chambers of CommerceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with local chambers of commerce throughout Colorado to connect with small business communities and provide coordinated support services.
• America's SBDCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccredited member of America's SBDC, a national network of small business development centers. This affiliation provides access to best practices, resources, and a unified brand identity.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Nav: Commercial platform providing SMBs with business credit profiles, financing matchmaking, and educational resources. Comparable in serving U.S. small businesses seeking capital and advisory support, but delivered via a SaaS/commercial model rather than public funding.
• America's SBDC: The national association and accreditation body for the SBDC network. Colorado SBDC is an accredited member; America's SBDC sets national standards, aggregates impact data, and coordinates federal advocacy for all state SBDCs.

Direct peers

• SCORE: National non-profit providing free, confidential small business mentoring and workshops funded in part by the SBA. Directly comparable service model (free advising, workshops, mentor networks) targeted at U.S. small businesses.
• Women's Business Centers (WBC) Program: SBA-funded program providing training, advising, and resources to women entrepreneurs through a national network of centers. Comparable federally subsidized model delivering no-cost business advising to a defined entrepreneur segment.
• Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Business Centers: Federal program supporting minority-owned businesses through a national network of business centers providing advising, contracting assistance, and capital access. Comparable center-based, federally funded model with a defined entrepreneur segment focus.
• Accion Opportunity Fund: Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) providing small business loans, advising, and training to underserved entrepreneurs. Overlaps with SBDC advising/capital-access services but operates under a different funding model (CDFI, not Cooperative Agreement).
• Texas Small Business Development Center (Texas SBDC Network): State SBDC network providing no-cost business advising, training, and resources across Texas through a multi-center structure. Direct functional equivalent at a different geographic and economic scale.
• Veterans Business Outreach Centers (VBOC) Program: SBA-funded program offering business training, advising, and resources to veteran entrepreneurs. Shares the same SBA-funded, center-based, no-cost advising model as the SBDC network, though focused on the veteran segment.
• California Small Business Development Center (NorCal SBDC / California SBDC Network): State SBDC network operating multiple regional centers across California, delivering no-cost advising and workshops to small businesses. Same federal mandate, same operating model, scaled to a larger state economy.

Others

• U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA): Federal parent/funder of the SBDC program and other resource partner networks. Not a direct competitor, but the ecosystem sponsor whose funding and policy decisions determine Colorado SBDC's operating environment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/coloradosbdc
• Facebookfacebook.com/coloradosbdc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/coloradosmallbusinessdevelopmentcenternetwork

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Colorado Small Business Development Center Network