“Apps for Entrepreneurs Challenge” Winners Announced by SBA

Recently, the SBA asked how we could use apps to put customized tools directly in the hands of entrepreneurs and small business owners. 

We reached out to entrepreneurs themselves to help find the answers through a nationwide competition with $20,000 in total prizes.  Here are the winning apps:

First Place:

• SBA Gems– Find loans, grants, permits and more. Developer - Somesh Kumar, Fremont, California

Second Place:

• CapitaList– Find federal databases for licenses, awards, proposals and websites. Developer – Muneeb Akhter, Springfield, Virginia
• Small Business Toolbox– Find small business programs, SBA offices and more. Developer – Joseph Blough, Dexter, Michigan
• SBA Loan Search App– Find loans, venture capital, tax incentives and more.  Developer – Richard Murphy, Silver Spring, Maryland

Third Place:

• Energy SBA– Find property rights, oil and gas leases, solar-related information and more. Developer – Robert Grogan, Eden Prairie, Minnesota
• SB Alert– Find contracting opportunities and get push notifications. Developers – Ben McGinnis and Team, Fairfax, Virginia
• Every Thing For The Entrepreneur– Find SBIR solicitations and more. Developer – Edwardo Martinez, San Francisco, California

These new apps are particularly important for the growing number of tech-savvy entrepreneurs who are turning to smart phones and tablets for more and more of the information they need. 

Importantly, one of the common threads in these apps is the ability to easily find federal, state, and local government resources to start or grow a business.  We hope you find these tools – designed by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs – to be helpful as you build a business in 2012.

Also, check out SBA’s own app, too, to find an SBA counselor near you.

Sean Greene is SBA Associate Administrator for Investment and Special Advisor for Innovation