The Indian Business Incubators Program (IBIP) is a program under the Native American Business Incubators Program Act in which the Office of Indian Economic Development (OIED) provides competitive grants to eligible applicants to establish and operate business incubators that serve Tribal reservation communities. With these grants, business incubators will:

(a) Provide individually tailored business incubation and other business services to Native businesses and Native entrepreneurs to overcome the unique obstacles they confront; and

(b) Provide Native businesses and Native entrepreneurs with the tools necessary to start and grow businesses that offer products and services to reservation communities.

As used in the part:

Awardee means an eligible applicant receiving a grant under the IBIP.

Business incubator means an organization that:

(1) Provides physical workspace and facilities resources to startups and established businesses; and

(2) Is designed to accelerate the growth and success of businesses through a variety of business support resources and services, including—

(i) Business education, counseling, and advice regarding access to capital;

(ii) Networking opportunities;

(iii) Mentorship opportunities; and

(iv) Other services intended to aid in developing a business.

Eligible applicant means an applicant eligible to apply for a grant under § 1187.3.

IBIP means the Indian Business Incubator Program (IBIP) under the Native American Business Incubator Program Act.

Indian Tribe has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).

Institution of higher education means an educational institution in any State that—

(1) Admits as regular students only persons having a certificate of graduation from a school providing secondary education, or the recognized equivalent of such a certificate, or persons who meet the requirements of 20 U.S.C. 1091(d);

(2) Is legally authorized within such State to provide a program of education beyond secondary education;

(3) Provides an educational program for which the institution awards a bachelor's degree or provides not less than a two-year program that is acceptable for full credit toward such a degree, or awards a degree that is acceptable for admission to a graduate or professional degree program, subject to review and approval by the Secretary;

(4) Is a public or other nonprofit institution; and

(5) Is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association, or if not so accredited, is an institution that has been granted pre-accreditation status by such an agency or association that has been recognized by the Secretary for the granting of pre-accreditation status, and the Secretary has determined that there is satisfactory assurance that the institution will meet the accreditation standards of such an agency or association within a reasonable time.

Native American or Native means a person who is a member of an Indian Tribe, as defined in section 4(d) of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304(d)).

Native business means a business concern that is at least 51-percent owned and controlled by 1 or more Native Americans.

Native entrepreneur means an entrepreneur who is a Native American.

OIED means the Office of Indian Economic Development in the Office of the Assistant Secretary—Indian Affairs.

Reservation means Indian reservations, public domain Indian allotments, former Indian reservations in Oklahoma, and land held by incorporated Native groups, regional corporations, and village corporations under the provisions of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.).

Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior.

Tribal college or university means an institution that—

(1) Qualifies for funding under the Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities Assistance Act of 1978 (25 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.) or the Navajo Community College Act (25 U.S.C. 640a note); or

(2) Is cited in section 532 of the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 301 note).

To be eligible to receive a grant under the IBIP, an applicant must:

(a) Be able to provide the physical workspace, equipment, and connectivity necessary for Native businesses and Native entrepreneurs to collaborate and conduct business on a local, regional, national, and international level; and

(b) Be one of the following entities:

(1) An Indian Tribe;

(2) A Tribal college or university that will have been operational for not less than one year before receiving a grant under the IBIP;

(3) An institution of higher education that will have been operational for not less than one year before receiving a grant under the IBIP; or

(4) A Tribal or private nonprofit organization that provides business and financial technical assistance and:

(i) Will have been operational for not less than one year before receiving a grant under the IBIP; and

(ii) Commits to serving one or more reservation communities.