Duquesne University Small Business Development Center

What Duquesne University Small Business Development Center does

The Duquesne University Small Business Development Center (DUQ SBDC) is a non-profit consulting organization housed within Duquesne University's Palumbo Donahue School of Business in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It delivers no-cost, confidential one-on-one consulting services and training workshops to entrepreneurs and small business owners across southwestern Pennsylvania, with service lines spanning starting a business, funding, technology commercialization and SBIR/STTR grants, buying a business, and international trade through the Global Business Program. The organization supplements advisory work with the Duquesne New Venture Challenge (DNVC) — a multi-stage entrepreneurship competition offering over $41,000 in cash prizes plus in-kind legal services from the Thomas R. Kline School of Law — and the Bridges to Business Podcast featuring client success stories. The SBDC is staffed by approximately 12 employees and consultants, and is led by Director Rich Longo.

The SBDC does not generate revenue from clients. Its operating budget is funded through cooperative agreements with the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development, with additional support from Duquesne University as the host institution and other state and federal funding sources. It is a member of the America's SBDC network, which unites nearly 1,000 SBDC centers nationally. The SBDC's go-to-market is community-led: clients are acquired through website-driven inquiries, referrals from partner chambers of commerce, schools, and government agencies, plus targeted outreach to demographic-specific entrepreneur communities (immigrant entrepreneurs, student entrepreneurs). The marketing channel mix includes the website (sbdc.duq.edu), a blog, in-person and live-stream workshops, a Constant Contact email newsletter, the podcast, and the annual DNVC competition.

The technology profile is non-existent as a product — the SBDC is not a software company and has no API, proprietary platform, or app. Its 'core technology' is the human advisory process itself, delivered by certified consultants (including technology commercialization-certified staff) and backed by academic resources from Duquesne University. Documented client outcomes include facilitating access to capital (e.g., $750K loan for Strategy Milling, $244K facility expansion loan for E-Z Pet Care, $121K PPP loan for Pierogies Plus during COVID-19), supporting $10M in export contracts (Conco Services in Peru), and accelerating early-stage ventures (HeadStrait Labs raising ~$700K after winning DNVC).

Name

Duquesne University Small Business Development Center

Legal name

Duquesne University Small Business Development Center

Website

https://sbdc.duq.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Duquesne University Small Business Development Center is a non-profit, university-based consulting program that provides no-cost advisory services, training workshops, and an annual entrepreneurship competition to entrepreneurs and small businesses in southwestern Pennsylvania, funded by the SBA, PA DCED, and Duquesne University.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Small Business Consulting and Development Services

NAICS

Other Management Consulting Services (541618), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Small Business & Entrepreneurship Community Education (EDAAAFAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Learning, Training & Corporate Education Consulting (BPAHAGAE)

Keywords

• Small business consulting
• Business development services
• Entrepreneurship training workshops
• SBA funding assistance
• Technology commercialization consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Pittsburgh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Small Business Consulting Services: The SBDC provides free, no-cost consulting services to small businesses and entrepreneurs. As a nonprofit university-based SBDC, it is funded through cooperative agreements with the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development, and Duquesne University's Palumbo Donahue School of Business. No direct revenue is generated from clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Duquesne University SBDC delivers no-cost, confidential one-on-one consulting and educational training workshops to entrepreneurs and small business owners in southwestern Pennsylvania. Consulting engagements cover business formation, business plan development, funding and SBA loan access, technology and life sciences commercialization including SBIR/STTR grants, business acquisition support, and international trade through the Global Business Program. The center supplements consulting with workshops, the Duquesne New Venture Challenge entrepreneurship competition, and the Bridges to Business Podcast, all funded through cooperative agreements with the U.S. SBA, the Pennsylvania DCED, and Duquesne University.

Product overview

Duquesne University Small Business Development Center is a university-based consulting and support organization that offers no-cost, confidential consulting services and training workshops to entrepreneurs and small business owners in southwestern Pennsylvania. The core offering consists of one-on-one consulting services supplemented by educational workshops and seminars. Consulting services span key business areas including starting a business, funding and financing, technology commercialization, buying a business, international trade, and SBIR/STTR government grants. The organization also runs the Duquesne New Venture Challenge entrepreneurship competition, produces the Bridges to Business Podcast featuring client success stories, and maintains a library of resources and success stories. The SBDC is funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration, Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development, and Duquesne University.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Duquesne New Venture Challenge (DNVC): A prestigious multi-stage entrepreneurship competition hosted by Duquesne University's Palumbo Donahue School of Business, offering cash prizes and professional services including legal support through Thomas R. Kline School of Law and SBDC consulting. Over $41,000 in cash prizes offered for top performers.
• Bridges to Business Podcast

Products and services

• No-Cost Consulting Services

Quantifiable outcome

• One client (Pierogies Plus) received $121,633 PPP loan during COVID-19
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. The SBA provides federal funding and programmatic guidance to the SBDC network, enabling free services to small businesses across the country.
• Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunded in part by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania through the Department of Community & Economic Development. Provides state-level funding and support for economic development initiatives.
• Duquesne University Palumbo Donahue School of BusinesscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost institution providing administrative support, faculty expertise, and connection to academic resources. The SBDC is part of the School of Business and the Duquesne New Venture Challenge is administered through this school.
• Thomas R. Kline School of LawminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides legal support services as part of the Duquesne New Venture Challenge competition prizes. Winners receive legal consultation services through the law school.
• America's SBDCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccredited member of America's SBDC, a national organization uniting nearly 1,000 SBDC centers across the country. Provides networking, best practices, and collective advocacy for the SBDC network.
• U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and SecurityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssisted clients with proper steps and procedures for pursuing foreign deals, particularly for global expansion of small businesses.
• Pennsylvania Office of International DevelopmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency providing support and resources for international business development, collaborated with on market research for foreign markets.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• SCORE: National nonprofit providing free business mentoring, workshops, and educational resources to entrepreneurs and small businesses. SCORE is the closest functional peer, sharing the no-cost consulting and education model that defines the Duquesne SBDC.
• Innovation Works (Pittsburgh): Pittsburgh-based startup support organization providing mentorship, capital, and incubation to early-stage technology ventures in the same southwestern Pennsylvania ecosystem the Duquesne SBDC serves.
• Start Small Think Big: Nonprofit providing free business advisory, legal, and marketing services to under-resourced small business owners; highly comparable no-cost, education-driven consulting model for SMB founders.
• Penn State Small Business Development Center: Sibling Pennsylvania SBDC operating under the same SBA-funded model, serving a different region of the state with identical service lines (consulting, training, funding assistance, tech commercialization).
• Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses: Free, cohort-based business education and support program for small business owners, delivered in partnership with community colleges. Highly comparable no-cost education-and-consulting model targeting similar SMB segments.
• Temple University Small Business Development Center: Another Pennsylvania university-based SBDC operating under the same SBA funding model, offering no-cost consulting, training, and SBIR/STTR support to entrepreneurs in the Philadelphia region.

Regional players

• Bunker Labs: National nonprofit supporting veteran and military-spouse entrepreneurs with education, mentorship, and access to capital — overlapping segment (aspiring/early-stage founders) but with a distinct veteran-focused mission.

Others

• U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA): Federal funding source and programmatic steward of the SBDC network; not a direct competitor but the principal partner that defines the Duquesne SBDC's mandate, funding, and operating scope.

Broad incumbents

• America's SBDC: The national association that accredits the Duquesne SBDC and unites nearly 1,000 SBDC centers across the U.S. Functions as the umbrella body and collective advocacy channel for SBDCs like Duquesne.
• Pennsylvania SBDC Network (PASBDC): Statewide coordinating body for Pennsylvania's SBDC centers; sets program standards, hosts the Growth Summit (where Duquesne won Happy Client Awards), and allocates statewide funding across individual centers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PLtEiuojX5yvGGGm-Ee46LmTqvIeF3a_6v
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/duquesne-university-small-business-development-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Duquesne University Small Business Development Center