Florida SBDC Network

What Florida SBDC Network does

The Florida SBDC Network is a statewide, state-designated non-profit small business assistance program operating as the principal provider of business assistance in Florida under Florida Statute § 288.001 and nationally accredited by the Association of America's SBDCs. Founded in 1976 and headquartered at the University of West Florida in Pensacola, the network delivers no-cost confidential consulting, affordable training, and market research to existing small businesses, startups, government contractors, exporters, manufacturers, and disaster-affected businesses across all 67 Florida counties. Services are accessed through nine regional university-hosted offices (UWF, FAMU, UNF, UCF, USF, FGCU, IRSC, FAU, FIU), an online Request for Consulting (eRFC) intake form, live workshops, webinars, on-demand videos, and the annual Small Business Success Summit. In 2025 the network served 15,439 clients and delivered 112,158 consulting hours, with reported client outcomes including $534.7M in capital secured, $711.5M in government contracts won, 18,334 jobs impacted, $3.4B+ in client sales impact, and 1,111 new businesses created.

The network's core technology consists of the Bizaster bilingual (English/Spanish) mobile disaster assistance app on iOS and Android, the proprietary State of Small Business research dashboard, the eRFC consulting intake platform, and the Turbo-Charge Any Team™ assessment methodology. Supporting products include the Export Marketing Plan service (delivered with the U.S. Commercial Service and SelectFlorida), the Manufacturing & Onshoring Resource Hub (in partnership with FloridaMakes), the Florida APEX Accelerator-aligned government contracting offering, and Mobile Assistance Center RVs deployed into disaster-affected communities. In 2025-2026 the network has emphasized manufacturing/onshoring, disaster preparedness, and international trade verticals, alongside a 50th anniversary brand campaign celebrating five decades of operation.

The business model is a publicly-funded hybrid: federal (39% SBA) and state/non-federal (61%) appropriations totaling roughly $21.4M annually underwrite free core consulting, while earned revenue comes from nominal training fees, $50-per-person Turbo-Charge assessments, $500 net-cost Export Marketing Plans, and the $350 Small Business Success Summit registration. Distribution is multi-channel: regional offices for in-person consulting, university referral pipelines, SBA/lender/economic development referral networks, and digital channels (website, social, on-demand video). Customer segments are horizontally diversified across SMBs and startups, with no client concentration risk.

Name

Florida SBDC Network

Legal name

Florida SBDC Network

Website

https://floridasbdc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Florida SBDC Network is a statewide, publicly-funded non-profit delivering no-cost business consulting, training, and research to Florida small businesses and startups through 9 university-hosted regional offices covering all 67 counties, funded primarily by federal and state appropriations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Small Business Consulting Services

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

SBA/Government-Backed & Development Finance Loans (FSAKAGAI)

Keywords

• Small business consulting
• Business training services
• Export marketing plans
• Government contracting assistance
• Disaster preparedness consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Pensacola, Florida

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Federal SBA Funding: The network receives federal funding through the Small Business Development Center Program. Federal share is 39% ($8,393,834) of the total program cost of $21,448,684. The network also receives State Trade Expansion Program funding with federal share of 75% ($225,000).
2. State of Florida Funding: State funding combined with non-federal share (61%) matching funds totaling $13,054,850 for the SBDC Program. State funding is provided through the Department of Commerce and other state partners.
3. Training Fees: The network charges nominal fees for some training events. Live workshops, webinars, and on-demand training are provided at affordable rates. Consulting services remain free to clients.
4. Export Marketing Plan Services: Export Marketing Plan service costs $5,000, with qualifying companies eligible for $4,500 scholarship and $2,500 STEP Grant, making the net cost $500 to the client.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Florida SBDC Network provides no-cost, confidential business consulting, affordable training (live workshops, webinars, on-demand videos), and data-backed market research to Florida's small businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs. Services are delivered through 9 regional offices hosted at Florida universities, covering all 67 counties and supporting business planning, financial analysis, marketing, capital access, international trade, government contracting, cybersecurity, and disaster preparedness.

Product overview

The Florida SBDC Network is a statewide small business assistance program — not a single software product but a platform of interconnected services delivered through 9 regional university-hosted offices. The core offering consists of three main service lines: (1) no-cost confidential Consulting Services covering business planning, financial analysis, marketing, capital access, international trade, cybersecurity, and disaster preparedness; (2) Training including live workshops, webinars, on-demand videos, and the annual Small Business Success Summit; and (3) Research providing market data and the State of Small Business Dashboard. Supporting offerings include the Export Marketing Plan service, Turbo-Charge Any Team™ assessment tool, the Bizaster disaster preparedness mobile app, and the Manufacturing & Onshoring Resource Hub. Services are accessed via an online Request for Consulting (eRFC) intake form and the regional office network covering all 67 Florida counties.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Consulting Services Confidential, no-cost professional business consulting delivered by certified consultants to help emerging and growing businesses design growth strategies and make better decisions across business planning, financial analysis, marketing, capital access, international trade, cybersecurity, and disaster preparedness.
• Training Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• In 2025: 15,439 clients served, 112,158 consulting hours, $534.7M capital secured, $711.5M government contracts, 18,334 jobs impacted, $3.4B+ sales increased, 1,111 new businesses created
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• University of West Florida (UWF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUWF serves as the network's designated lead host institution and headquarters location. The State Office is located at UWF in Pensacola. UWF Professor Allan Cowart founded the original Resource Center for Small Business Services in 1972, which evolved into the statewide network.
• Florida A&M University (FAMU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFlorida SBDC at FAMU serves 8 counties in North Florida (Franklin, Gadsden, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Taylor, Wakulla). Regional Director Keith Bowers leads the team.
• University of North Florida (UNF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFlorida SBDC at UNF serves 19 counties in Northeast Florida. The center assists businesses with consulting, training, and research services including government contracting support.
• University of Central Florida (UCF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFlorida SBDC at UCF serves 8 counties in Central Florida including the Orlando metro area. The center offers Executive Roundtable and CEO XChange peer insight programs.
• University of South Florida (USF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFlorida SBDC at USF serves 10 counties in the Tampa Bay area and Central Florida. Known for supporting startups and tech businesses including Cope Notes and J.T.D. Enterprises.
• Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFlorida SBDC at FGCU serves 5 counties in Southwest Florida (Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry, Lee).
• Indian River State College (IRSC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFlorida SBDC at IRSC serves 4 counties on Florida's Treasure Coast (Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee, St. Lucie). Regional Director Tom Kindred leads the center.
• Florida Atlantic University (FAU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFlorida SBDC at FAU serves Palm Beach and Broward counties in Southeast Florida, the state's most populous region.
• Florida International University (FIU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFlorida SBDC at FIU serves Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. Known for international trade expertise and government contracting support including assistance through the Florida APEX Accelerator.
• Florida APEX Accelerator (formerly PTAC)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHelps small businesses navigate government contracting. The Florida APEX Accelerator at FIU, working with SBDC consultants like Luis Batista, helps businesses obtain certifications and secure government contracts.
• Enterprise FloridamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState's economic development organization partnered with SBDC on Export Marketing Plans. Helped J.T.D. Enterprises secure Mexican trade mission appointments through Gold Key grant.
• U.S. Commercial ServicemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal trade promotion agency partnered with SBDC for Export Marketing Plan services. International Trade Specialists work with U.S. Commercial Service to provide market entry support in Mexico City and other locations.
• SelectFloridamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFlorida's official international commerce organization partnered with SBDC for Export Marketing Plan services, providing export readiness assessments and market analysis.
• FloridaMakesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial representative of the MEP National Network in Florida. FloridaMakes helps manufacturing companies expand market opportunities, adopt best practices, and access state-of-the-art technologies, complementing SBDC services.
• FloridaCommercemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe state's principal economic development agency assists the Governor in advancing Florida's economy and administers programs supporting small business development.
• CareerSource FloridaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide workforce policy and investment board connecting businesses with talent and training needed to succeed and grow.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• America's SBDC: America's SBDC is the national association representing all U.S. SBDC networks and accrediting programs; it is the broader incumbent overseeing Florida SBDC's accreditation and federal funding framework.
• U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA): The SBA is the federal agency that funds and oversees the SBDC program (39% federal share of Florida's $21.4M budget), operates district offices providing direct advising, and runs adjacent programs like WBCs and VBOCs — a broader incumbent in the same small-business-assistance space.

Direct peers

• SCORE: SCORE is the SBA's volunteer mentor network providing free business mentoring, training, and resources to U.S. small businesses — directly comparable to Florida SBDC's confidential consulting and training model, though delivered by retired executives rather than paid consultants.
• California SBDC: The California SBDC is the statewide network of regional SBDC centers hosted at California universities, mirroring Florida's structure of university-embedded offices delivering no-cost consulting and training to in-state small businesses.
• New York SBDC: The New York SBDC is a statewide network of 22+ regional centers providing no-cost business consulting and training funded through the SBA — a near-identical operational model to the Florida SBDC Network.
• Maryland SBDC: The Maryland SBDC, hosted by the University of Maryland, is another state-level SBDC network providing no-cost consulting, training, and research services to in-state small businesses — directly comparable to the Florida SBDC Network model.
• Texas SBDC Network: The Texas SBDC is the largest state SBDC network, hosted across Texas universities, providing the same no-cost consulting, training, and capital-access services to Texas small businesses — directly comparable in scale, structure, and federal-state funding model.

Emerging players

• Women's Business Centers (WBC): WBCs are SBA-funded centers delivering business training, mentoring, and consulting tailored to women entrepreneurs — directly comparable in mission and funding model though narrower in client focus.
• Veterans Business Outreach Centers (VBOC): VBOCs are SBA-funded resource partners offering business training, consulting, and resource access to veteran entrepreneurs — a smaller, segment-focused parallel to the Florida SBDC's services.

Regional players

• Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC): BDC is Canada's government-backed development finance institution providing advisory services, capital, and consulting to Canadian entrepreneurs — a regional equivalent of the U.S. SBDC program, though BDC also lends capital directly unlike the Florida SBDC.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/floridasbdcn?lang=en
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/FloridaSBDCNetwork/videos?app=desktop
• Facebookfacebook.com/FloridaSBDCN
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/florida-small-business-development-center-network
• Instagraminstagram.com/floridasbdcn

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Florida SBDC Network