SBTDC

What SBTDC does

SBTDC (Puerto Rico Small Business and Technology Development Center) is a nonprofit business development organization established in 1997 through a cooperative agreement between Inter American University of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The organization provides free, individualized business consulting, training, and access-to-capital advisory services to small and medium-sized entrepreneurs across Puerto Rico, delivered through a network of 14 service centers, a virtual business center, and the BIZ Learning Center digital education platform. Its service portfolio includes one-on-one business advisory, educational seminars, specialized centers for International Trade and Innovation & Technology, and targeted programs covering agriculture (AgriBiz with USDA), manufacturing (Manufacturing HUB), inventors (PRidea), and disaster recovery (Business Relief Assistance Program).

SBTDC's revenue mechanics are grant-based rather than transactional: it operates on a cooperative agreement with the SBA supplemented by USDA funding for agricultural programs, and provides all services at no cost to end users. Its go-to-market relies on a community-led and event-driven model — Lender Match events, business summits, university-campus-embedded service centers, and digital outreach — combined with inside-sales-style individualized counseling. Customer segments span SMB entrepreneurs, agricultural producers, manufacturers, and export-oriented businesses, with no fees collected and no equity or ownership stakes in clients.

Cumulative impact since founding (230,129 people impacted, $1.375 billion in capital accessed, 2,998 businesses created, 122,991 jobs) reflects long-tenured institutional positioning rather than traditional commercial scale. Recent FY2025 outputs include $43.2 million in capital accessed, 12,633 jobs supported, and 2,811 clients served through consulting — figures that represent economic outcomes for clients rather than SBTDC's own revenue.

Name

SBTDC

Legal name

Puerto Rico Small Business and Technology Development Center

Website

https://prsbtdc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Puerto Rico SBTDC is a nonprofit founded in 1997 that provides free business consulting, training, and access-to-capital advisory services to SMB entrepreneurs across Puerto Rico through 14 SBA-affiliated service centers and specialized programs for agriculture, manufacturing, and exports.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Small Business Development Services

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Other Management Consulting Services (541618), Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (541611), All Other Business Support Services (561499)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Mortgage Bankers & Loan Correspondents (6162)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYFSAEAEAI

SBA/USDA Government-Backed Loan Intermediation

Financial & Insurance/Financial Advisory, Brokerage & Intermediation/Mortgage Brokerage & Loan Intermediation

SECONDARYEDAAAFAK

Small Business & Entrepreneurship Community Education

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Community & Public Education Programs (Libraries, Community Centers)

SECONDARYFSAKAGAI

SBA/Government-Backed & Development Finance Loans

Financial & Insurance/Lending & Consumer Finance/Small Business & Microenterprise Lending

Keywords

• Small business consulting
• Entrepreneur advisory services
• SBA loan assistance
• Business development training
• Manufacturing and export support

Headquarters

HQ city

San Juan

HQ country

Puerto Rico

HQ region

Latin America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Federal SBA Cooperative Agreement: SBTDC operates as a nonprofit partnership program funded through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. Services are provided free of charge to entrepreneurs and small businesses.
2. USDA Program Funding: The AgriBiz program receives specific funding support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for agricultural business development initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

SBTDC delivers free individualized business consulting, training seminars, and access-to-capital advisory services to entrepreneurs and small businesses in Puerto Rico through a network of 14 service centers operated under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. Its offerings span the full business lifecycle — from startup planning and financing (PPP, EIDL, SBA Express, SBA 504 loans) through growth, innovation, manufacturing, agricultural (AgriBiz), inventor support (PRidea), and export assistance via its International Trade Center.

Product overview

SBTDC is a business development organization operating as a partnership between Inter American University of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The organization provides a comprehensive suite of free services to entrepreneurs and small businesses through 14 service centers across Puerto Rico. The core offerings include individualized business advisory consulting, educational seminars, the BIZ Learning Center multimedia platform, and specialized programs such as the Manufacturing HUB, AgriBiz Program, PRidea Inventor Program, and Business Relief Assistance Program. The organization also maintains specialized centers for International Trade and Innovation and Technology to support export-ready businesses and technology-driven entrepreneurship.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BIZ Learning Center: Multimedia educational platform offering free courses on establishing and strengthening businesses in Puerto Rico, featuring modules on business ideas, business plans, corporate structures, financing options, permits, and digital marketing.
• PR SBTDC Manufacturing HUB
• AgriBiz Program
• Business Relief Assistance Program

Products and services

• BIZ Learning Center Self-paced multimedia educational platform offering free online courses for entrepreneurs covering business plan development, financing, permits, and digital marketing; available with narration and reading versions.
• Business Relief Assistance Program Free COVID-19 business support program providing education and individualized consulting on loan programs, health and safety, web development, online sales, cybersecurity, intellectual property, and disaster preparedness for affected business owners.
• Manufacturing HUB Specialized manufacturing support initiative providing training, advisory services, and resources for small and midsize manufacturers across Puerto Rico, delivered through 14 service centers in partnership with the SBA.
• AgriBiz Program Agricultural business education and consulting program in partnership with USDA providing training in operational and financial planning and export readiness for farmers, ranchers, fishermen, and beekeepers.
• PRidea Program Inventor support program providing training, consulting, and seed capital grants to help Puerto Rico inventors prepare proposals for federal SBIR/STTR funding for research and commercialization.
• Asesoría (Business Advisory Services) Free individualized business consulting provided at 14 service centers across Puerto Rico covering business planning, financing, market research, and operational improvements for existing and new businesses.
• Seminars (Educational Workshops) In-person and virtual educational workshops and seminars covering business topics including startups, financing, digital marketing, e-commerce, disaster loans, and specialized industry training.
• Biblioteca Empresarial (Entrepreneurial Library) Online resource library providing educational materials, courses, and business development resources accessible through the SBTDC website.
• International Trade Center Services Specialized export consulting, market research, trade documentation, and international partnership support provided through Puerto Rico's only specialized International Trade Center, including a 2025 strategic collaboration agreement with ProDominicana.
• Innovation and Technology Center Services Specialized innovation and technology advisory services for technology-driven entrepreneurs, housed within the SBTDC network alongside the International Trade Center.
• Business Resilience Program Educational meetings and advisory program helping Puerto Rico entrepreneurs prepare for hurricanes and other emergencies, including disaster management and business continuity planning.

Quantifiable outcome

• $43.2M in capital accessed in FY 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers22 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Florida SBDC Network: Statewide SBA-affiliated SBDC delivering free consulting, training, and capital-access services across multiple regional centers. Closest comparable peer in scale and service mix, including international trade and manufacturing specialty centers.
• SCORE: SBA resource partner providing free mentorship, webinars, and educational content to U.S. small business owners. Comparable mission (free, SBA-affiliated entrepreneur education) and volunteer/advisor-driven service model.
• California SBDC Network: California's statewide SBA-affiliated SBDC delivering no-cost advising and training to entrepreneurs. Comparable in scale, mission, and SBA federal-cooperative-agreement operating model.
• America SBDC (ASBDC): National association that accredits and represents the U.S. SBDC network, of which PR SBTDC is a member. Comparable in mission (free small-business development) and federal funding model; comparable in network-of-centers structure.
• Women's Business Centers (SBA): SBA-sponsored resource partner offering free business training, counseling, and mentorship to women entrepreneurs. Closely aligned with PR SBTDC's free, federal-funding-anchored service model and target segments.
• Texas Small Business Development Center (TSBDC) Network: Texas's statewide SBDC network hosted by universities under SBA cooperative agreement. Comparable in federal co-ag funding model, university host structure, multi-center footprint, and free advisory/training services.

Broad incumbents

• Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA): Federal agency supporting minority-owned business growth through centers that provide consulting, access to capital, and training. Adjacent to SBTDC's 'small business development' mission, with overlap in capital-access intermediation.
• U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA): Federal agency that funds SBTDC through the SBDC cooperative agreement and is the architect of the entire SBDC program. Not a direct competitor; PR SBTDC's operations, governance, and metrics ultimately roll up into SBA outcomes.

Regional players

• Invest Puerto Rico: Public-private partnership promoting private investment and economic development in Puerto Rico. Adjacent regional actor also serving SMB and export-oriented enterprises; overlaps with SBTDC's International Trade Center on export-promotion themes.

Others

• Inter American University of Puerto Rico: Parent/host institution that administers the SBA cooperative agreement under which SBTDC operates. Provides campuses on which 14 service centers are physically located; not a competitor but a structural dependency for PR SBTDC.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/prsbtdc
• Facebookfacebook.com/prsbtdc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/prsbtdc
• Instagraminstagram.com/prsbtdc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

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 SBTDC