SCORE for Small Business Act of 2026

(c) SCORE program

(1) SCORE defined. In this subsection, the term SCORE means the organization that carries out the volunteer program authorized by subsection (b)(1)(B).

(2) Cooperative agreement. The Administrator shall enter into a cooperative agreement with the SCORE to carry out the volunteer program authorized by subsection (b)(1)(B). The cooperative agreement shall include the following requirements:

(A) Administrator duties. The Administrator shall—

(i) every 2 years, conduct a financial examination of SCORE to ensure that any costs paid for with Federal funds are allowable, allocable, and reasonable;

(ii) review and approve contracts, of a value greater than an amount determined by the Administrator, entered into by SCORE to provide goods or services for the program;

(iii) maintain a system through which SCORE provides documentation relating to such contracts; and

(iv) within 30 days of the receipt of a quarterly report on the achievements of the program carried out by SCORE, reconcile differences between such report and the performance results of the program reported in a management information system of the Office of Entrepreneurial Development.

(B) SCORE duties. SCORE shall—

(i) manage nationwide chapters of the program carried out by SCORE;

(ii) provide annual training to employees of SCORE on generating and using program income from the program;

(iii) submit documentation to the Administrator verifying such annual training is completed;

(iv) separate funds donated to SCORE from program income and funds received pursuant to a cooperative agreement; and

(v) maintain and enforce requirements for volunteers participating in the program carried out by SCORE, including requirements that each such volunteer shall—

(I) based on the business experience and knowledge of the volunteer—

(aa) provide personal counseling, mentoring, and coaching on the process of starting, expanding, managing, buying, and selling a business at no cost to individuals who own, or aspire to own, small business concerns; and

(bb) facilitate free or low-cost education workshops for individuals who own, or aspire to own, small business concerns; and

(II) as appropriate, use tools, resources, and expertise of other organizations to carry out the program.

(C) Joint duties. The Administrator, in consultation with SCORE, shall ensure that the program and each chapter of SCORE—

(i) develops and implements plans and goals to effectively and efficiently provide services to individuals at all stages of business growth and in all communities, including plans for virtual, remote, and web-based initiatives, chapter expansion, partnerships, and the development of new skills by volunteers participating in the program; and

(ii) reinforces an inclusive culture by recruiting volunteers from a variety of industries, ages, and communities for the chapters of SCORE.

(3) Online component. In addition to providing in-person services, SCORE shall maintain and expand online counseling services including webinars, electronic mentoring platforms, and online toolkits to further support entrepreneurs.

(4) Accounting. SCORE shall—

(A) maintain a centralized accounting and financing system for each chapter of SCORE;

(B) maintain uniform policy and procedures to manage Federal funds received pursuant to a cooperative agreement described in paragraph (2); and

(C) maintain an employee of SCORE to serve as a compliance officer to ensure expenditures of the program are fully compliant with any law, regulation, or cooperative agreement relating to the program.

(5) Compensation

(A) Salaries. The salary of an employee of SCORE may not exceed the equivalent of the maximum rate of pay allowable for an individual in the career Senior Executive Service employed at the Administration.

(B) Performance awards. SCORE may spend up to 5 percent of the aggregate salaries of employees of SCORE on individual performance awards to employees of SCORE, to be disbursed before the last day of the fiscal year, if not later than 60 days before such disbursement SCORE submits to the Administrator a report on the number and amount of such awards to be disbursed.

(6) Whistleblower protection requirements. SCORE shall—

(A) annually update all manuals or other documents applicable to employees and volunteers of SCORE or the program carried out by SCORE to include requirements relating to reporting procedures and protectors for whistleblowers; and

(B) conduct an annual training for employees and volunteers of SCORE or the program carried out by SCORE on the requirements described in paragraph (1) and encourage the use of a hotline established by the Office of the Inspector General of the Small Business Administration to submit whistleblower reports.

(7) Published materials. SCORE shall ensure all published materials include written acknowledgment of Administration support of the SCORE program if such materials are paid for in whole or in part by Federal funds.

(8) Privacy requirements

(A) In general. Neither the Administrator nor SCORE may disclose the name, address, email address, or telephone number of any individual or small business concern receiving assistance from SCORE without the consent of such individual or small business concern, unless—

(i) the Administrator is ordered to make such a disclosure by a court in any civil or criminal enforcement action initiated by a Federal or State agency; or

(ii) the Administrator considers such a disclosure to be necessary for the purpose of conducting a financial audit of the program carried out by SCORE, but such disclosure shall be limited to the information necessary for the audit.

(B) Administrator use of information. This paragraph shall not—

(i) restrict the access of the Administrator to activity data of the program carried out by SCORE; or

(ii) prevent the Administrator from using client information of the program to conduct client surveys.

(C) Standards

(i) In general. The Administrator shall, by rule and after the opportunity for notice and comment, establish standards for—

(I) disclosures with respect to financial audits described under subparagraph (A)(ii); and

(II) conducting client surveys, including standards for oversight of the surveys and for dissemination and use of client information.

(ii) Maximum privacy protection. The standards issued under this subparagraph shall, to the extent practicable, provide for the maximum amount of privacy protection.

(iii) Payment terms

(I) Form of payments. The cooperative agreement described in paragraph (2) shall provide for payments of Federal funds to SCORE to carry out the program authorized by subsection (b)(1)(B) in lump sum or installments, and in advance or by way of reimbursement.

(II) Timing. Not later than 30 days after the date on which amounts are made available under an appropriations Act (including a joint resolution making continuing appropriations) to carry out the program for a fiscal year, the Administrator shall—

(aa) issue to SCORE a notice of award obligating such amounts under the cooperative agreement; and

(bb) begin disbursement of such amounts to SCORE.

(9) Annual report. Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this subsection, and annually thereafter, the Administrator shall submit to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate and the Committee on Small Business of the House of Representatives a report on the performance and effectiveness of the program carried out by SCORE. Such report may be included as part of another report submitted to such Committees by the Administrator and shall include—

(A) the total number and the number of unique clients counseled or trained under the program;

(B) the number of hours of counseling provided under the program;

(C) the number of local workshops provided under the program;

(D) the number of clients attending online and local workshops provided under the program;

(E) to the extent practicable, the demographics of program clients and volunteers, which shall include the gender, race, and age of each such client or volunteer;

(F) with respect to businesses assisted under the program, the cost to create a job, the cost to create a business, and return on investment;

(G) to the extent practicable, the number of referrals of program clients to other resources and programs of the Administration;

(H) to the extent practicable, the number of program clients receiving financial assistance, including the type and dollar amount, under loan programs of the Administration;

(I) the results of program client surveys, including a summary of any comments received from such clients;

(J) the number of new businesses started up by program clients;

(K) the number of such new businesses realizing revenue growth;

(L) to the extent practicable, the number of jobs created with assistance from the program;

(M) the total cost of the program;

(N) any recommendations of the Administrator to improve the program; and

(O) to the extent practicable, an explanation of how the program has been integrated with—

(i) small business development centers;

(ii) women’s business centers (described under section 29);

(iii) Veteran Business Outreach Centers (described under section 32);

(iv) other offices of the Administration; and

(v) other public and private entities engaging in entrepreneurial and small business development.