Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is urging the Trump Administration to restore funding that supports Atlanta’s Black-owned businesses.
Sen. Ossoff launched an inquiry with the U.S. Department of Commerce urging the administration to reverse the cancellation of a $3 million Capital Readiness Grant from the Urban League of Greater Atlanta, warning of risks to Atlanta’s Black-owned businesses.
“I strongly urge the Commerce Department to immediately review and reinstate the Urban League of Greater Atlanta’s Capital Readiness grant,” wrote Sen. Ossoff. “Continued failure to do so punishes job creators, hinders Georgia’s economic growth, and denies critical services from being delivered to my constituents.”
The Urban League of Greater Atlanta secured the grant in 2023 to provide early support and technical assistance for Atlanta’s Black entrepreneurs to help create jobs and continue to grow Georgia’s economy.
The grant was cancelled in April of 2025 following the issuance of an executive order directing the dismantling of the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), denying a critical resource for entrepreneurs and job creators in Georgia.
Sen. Ossoff continues to support Black entrepreneurs and small businesses across Georgia.
This spring, Sen. Ossoff cosponsored bipartisan legislation to support Georgia’s small businesses. The Simplifying Subcontracting Act would simplify the process for small businesses to win Federal contracts.
In August of 2023, working alongside the Greater Augusta Black Chamber of Commerce (GABCC), Sens. Ossoff and Warnock brought Republicans and Democrats in Congress together to help expand opportunities for entrepreneurship and grow the local economy.
In late 2023, Sen. Ossoff and Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) introduced the Small Business Contracting Fairness Act to help level the playing field for women- and minority-owned small businesses and help them compete for Federal funding opportunities through the bipartisan infrastructure law. Sen. Ossoff previously introduced this legislation in 2022.
Click here to read Sen. Ossoff’s letter to the Commerce Department.
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