FORT MYERS, FL (May 28, 2024) — The Florida Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) is thrilled to announce its receipt of two highly prestigious awards from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), marking a significant milestone in its dedication to supporting local entrepreneurs and small businesses. The awards include:
- South Florida District 2024 National Small Business Week Small Business Development Center of the Year
- 2024 Region IV Small Business Development Center Excellence and Innovation Award
These distinguished honors underscore the SBDC at FGCU’s unwavering commitment to contributing to business growth by offering essential resources and delivering expert guidance to entrepreneurs throughout Southwest Florida. By providing no-cost consulting, training programs, and an array of resources, the center has empowered countless businesses to launch, grow, and sustain success. “We are incredibly proud of the Florida SBDC at FGCU for receiving these well-deserved awards,” said Dorian Zwierewicz, Regional Director at the SBDC at FGCU. “Their unwavering dedication to serving small businesses, coupled with their innovative approach to fostering entrepreneurship, truly sets them apart as a model for SBDC centers across the region. We commend their hard work and look forward to their continued success in empowering Southwest Florida’s entrepreneurial community.”
The center’s recognition by the SBA is well-deserved, particularly in light of its stellar performance over the past year. In 2023 alone, the SBDC at FGCU was instrumental in:
- Assisting over 1,300 small businesses
- Securing over $28 million in capital
- Winning over $40 million in government contracts
- Positively impacting more than 4,200 jobs
- Increasing sales by over $30 million
- Launching 114 new businesses
These impressive results reflect the center’s leadership and dedication to creating a robust, thriving small business ecosystem in Southwest Florida. This year’s SBA awards highlight not just the center’s immediate successes, but also its broader contributions to the long-term economic vitality of the region.
The Florida SBDC at FGCU was selected for its excellence in service delivery, demonstrating a deep understanding of the needs of local entrepreneurs and offering innovative solutions to the challenges they face. The SBA’s selection was based on several key factors, including:
- Outstanding service quality, helping businesses at all stages of growth.
- Creative approaches to addressing the unique challenges faced by local businesses.
- A measurable impact on business growth, job creation, and community development.
- Strong partnerships with regional organizations dedicated to economic development and business success.
As a recognized leader in facilitating small business success, the Florida SBDC at FGCU continues to play an indispensable role in the SWFL region, helping to cultivate a vibrant, resilient small business community. The center remains dedicated to driving economic growth and empowering small businesses to achieve their full potential, and looks forward to building on this momentum as it continues its vital work.
For more information about the services provided by the Florida SBDC at FGCU, please visit Florida SBDC at FGCU.
About the Florida SBDC at FGCU
The FSBDC at FGCU offers one-on-one, confidential, no-cost consulting and low-cost workshops for businesses throughout Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry, and Glades counties. The state designates the Florida SBDC Network as Florida’s principal provider of business assistance. The FSBDC at FGCU is a member of the Florida SBDC Network, a statewide service funded in part through cooperative agreements with the U.S. Small Business Administration, Department of Defense, State of Florida, and other private and public partners, and is hosted by Florida Gulf Coast University and nationally accredited by the Association of SBDCs. For more information, please visit fsbdcswfl.org.