(a) The recipient organization has the contractual responsibility for performing the duties of the Lead Center in accordance with the cooperative agreement. The Lead Center must be an independent department within the recipient organization, having its own staff, including a full-time SBDC Director.

(b) A Lead Center must provide administrative services and coordination for the SBDC network, including program development, program management, financial management, reports management, promotion and public relations, program assessment and evaluation, and internal quality control. The Lead Center must conduct and document annual financial and programmatic reviews and evaluations of its SBDC service centers consistent with § 130.820(a).

(c) The Lead Center's and SBDC service center's services will be available to the public throughout the year during the normal hours of the business community. In addition, every effort should be made to provide assistance, including during nonbusiness hours, both in-person and virtually, as appropriate, to meet local community business demands and needs. Variations from these schedules or other anticipated closures will be included in the new or annual renewal application. Emergency closures will be reported to the SBA District Office as soon as is feasible.

(d) The specific identification “Small Business Development Center” must be a part of the official name of every SBDC Lead Center and SBDC service center within the SBDC network, unless waived by the AA/SBDC.

(e) Any entity that is using the term “Small Business Development Center” and under contract with the Lead Center and receiving program funds, whether receiving Federal funding or not, is considered a part of the recipient organization's network and as such the recipient organization is required to report to the OSBDC each SBDC service center's performance as well as any funds or program income generated by the activities of that Service Center.

(f) Each SBDC must maintain a minimum number of export and trade certified counselors to assist clients develop export and international trade opportunities. The standard for establishing the number of counselors required to have this certification is based on the total number of full-time equivalent (FTE) counseling employees in an SBDC's network. The minimum number of certified counselors for an SBDC network is the lesser of:

(1) Five counselors; or

(2) Ten percent of the total number of FTE counselors in the network.

(g) The Lead Center and all its SBDC service centers must implement and have in effect at all times, a uniform and enforceable conflict of interest policy applicable to all SBDC employees, contractors, consultants, and volunteers and must be signed annually. At a minimum, this policy must be consistent with the conflict of interest principles set forth in 2 CFR 2701.112.

(h) The SBDC network will comply with 13 CFR parts 112, 113, 117, and 136 requiring that no person, on the grounds of race, color, handicap, marital status, national origin, race, religion, or gender, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity conducted by the SBDC network.