Southwestern Oregon Community College has won two grants totaling $112,915 to boost its program to help small businesses.

Funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Oregon Economic and Community Development Department, the grants will help the college administer its Business Development Center activities.

Both grants are funded through Lane Community College as part of a statewide initiative to operate BDCs to improve opportunities for small business in the communities they serve. The larger of the two grants will partially fund business advising services in skill areas such as business planning, loan application preparation, financial management, personnel management and marketing. Since 1991, this grant has helped support the Southwestern BDC’s counseling services to existing and potential start-up businesses.

Southwestern also is receiving $30,250 to provide its business advising, training and informational services to existing and potential start-up businesses. Southwestern has received these funds each year since 1984, and funding has been awarded at the same level since 1992. This funding is utilized to partially support business center salaries.