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Committee advances $900,000 transfer to shore up Colorado Small Business Development Centers
Summary
Senate Appropriations advanced House Bill 14‑16 to transfer reversions and direct $900,000 to the Colorado SBDC after testimony that federal funds for 2026 are delayed; witnesses said the transfer preserves services and required local match funding while the state awaits federal reimbursement.
The Senate Appropriations Committee advanced House Bill 14‑16 after hearing from the Colorado Small Business Development Center’s state director about delayed federal funding.
Hannah Krieger, state director of the Colorado SBDC, told the committee the network supports Colorado’s small businesses — "over 715,000 businesses employing about 1,100,000 Coloradans" — and that a delay in 2026 federal funds (she said the SBDC expects a little over $2.4 million in federal funding for 2026 that requires a 1:1 local match) has strained the network’s ability to provide services. "This funding will address real time economic pressures by providing small businesses with essential education in the form of long term strategic planning, financial management, and loan readiness to boost business resiliency and retain essential jobs," Krieger said.
Sponsor Senator Amabile explained HB 14‑16 would use reversioned funds to provide $900,000 to the SBDC network to sustain operations and preserve federal matching eligibility; the sponsor warned that without the state assistance many SBDC centers could close and federal funding could be at risk. Committee members asked where remaining local match would come from; Krieger said the network has been spending down existing local match from host organizations and fundraising and that those match funds were being depleted.
Committee members also raised whether recent appropriations had already provided funds for the program; witnesses clarified those were separate bills and that the SBDC’s typical federal award is roughly $2.24 million in previous years with an expected increase for 2026. After brief questioning the committee voted to advance the bill with a 5‑2 tally, with members noting the JBC set aside and the urgency created by delayed federal drawdowns.
The bill moves forward to the next stage where budget reconciliation and exact matching strategies will be finalized.
