Small Business Development Centers Improvement Act of 2026

The Small Business Development Centers Improvement Act of 2026 updates the rules and funding for federal programs that help small business owners, such as Small Business Development Centers, Women's Business Centers, and SCORE. The bill requires the Small Business Administration to report more detailed information on how these programs operate and spend money, while also establishing a working group to improve how data is collected from these organizations. It allows centers to use a small portion of their grants for marketing, permits them to charge fees for private partnerships, and sets a limit on new funding for centers that have not previously received federal grants. Additionally, the legislation increases annual funding for state grants, simplifies contract approval timelines, and mandates annual reports detailing the number of businesses started, jobs created, and participants served.