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County unveils "Calibrate" small-business center and plans for loans and grants
Summary
Prince William County presented the Calibrate at Chen small-business resource center, along with proposals for microloan and grant programs, mentorship partnerships and targeted outreach to underrepresented entrepreneurs.
Trevor Johnson, deputy director of Economic Development and Tourism, described a multi-pronged approach to support small and underrepresented businesses in Prince William County, centered on a new physical hub called Calibrate at Chen to be located at the Chen Park Library.
"They're represented about 95% of all businesses in the county," Johnson said, describing the importance of small businesses to the local economy and the rationale for targeted supports. The Calibrate hub will allow local entrepreneurs to meet with county staff, permitting teams and finance representatives, and connect with partner services such as George Mason University's Small Business Development Center (Mason SBDC).
Johnson said the county is exploring both microloan programs modeled on SBA microloan structures and need‑ or performance‑based grant programs to help smaller businesses that are often overlooked by existing opportunity funds. He also described plans to reactivate a small-business advisory group (to be called the Calibrate Committee) drawing on chambers, the SBDC, George Mason University and successful local business owners.
Board members praised the focus on multilingual outreach and mentorship while asking for clear KPIs and coordination with existing regional programs to avoid duplication. Johnson said the county will pursue partnerships with local banks, SBA models, and community stakeholders to implement the programs.
