PRA_Supporting_Statement-_B2B_Registration_Form 7.10.25

U.S. Small Business Administration Boots to Business Course Registration

OMB Control No. 3245-0384

A: JUSTIFICATION

1. ​Circumstances necessitating the collection of information

SBA is seeking a reinstatement, with change, of a previously approved collection.

The Secretary of Labor, in conjunction with the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs is required by 10 U.S.C. § 1144 (b) (5) to establish and maintain a program to “provide information and other assistance to separating military Service members in their efforts to obtain loans and grants from the Small Business Administration and other Federal, State, and local agencies.” The Secretary of Defense is also required by 10 U.S.C. § 1142 (b) (13) to provide to such Service members “information concerning veterans small business ownership and entrepreneurship programs of the Small Business Administration.” In addition, section 32(d) of the Small Business Act, 15 U.S.C.

657b(d) specifically requires SBA to “regularly participate in the workshops of the Transition Assistance Program….”

Boots to Business (B2B) is an entrepreneurial education program offered by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) as a career track within the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) Transition Assistance Program (TAP). B2B is one of three optional training tracks within TAP. The B2B curriculum provides information to transitioning Service members exploring self- employment opportunities by leading them through the key steps for evaluating business concepts and the foundational knowledge required for developing a business plan. Participants are also introduced to SBA resources available to help access startup capital and technical assistance. Veterans who have already transitioned may access SBA entrepreneurial development services through the B2B|Reboot workshop. Military spouses take the Military Spouse Pathway to Business course.

After completing Boots to Business, Boots to Business Reboot, or the Military Spouse Pathway to Business class, participants may access other SBA-sponsored entrepreneurial development training opportunities online.

SBA has streamlined the information previously approved for collection. The agency has determined that some of the information is either unnecessary for the registration process or more appropriately collected as part of the post-B2B course collection of information, OMB Control Number 3245-0390. As a result of the changes, information collected will be restricted to brief demographic and Service-related data. In addition, the burden on Service members will also be reduced.

2. How, by whom, and for what purpose information will be used

SBA uses this form to collect course registration and attendance data for at B2B courses where the electronic collection for eligible Service members, veterans, and their spouses is not practicable. This collection enables the Program to report overall participation and to better identify ways to improve its marketing and outreach.

3. Technological collection techniques

SBA OVBD’s initial plan was to transition from using a paper-based B2B course registration forms to an online form permitting electronic responses, which would ultimately lessen the burden on respondents. The Program is making steady progress towards this goal and has implemented an electronic registration system through a customer relationship management (CRM) system which supports the streamlining of program operations. However, due to operational and technical constraints, there are some instances where electronic methods do not work and will require that information to be collected manually. To reduce this burden, SBA has reduced the information collection to the minimum amount of data needed to achieve its purpose. Approximately 90 of this information is collected online.

4. Avoidance of Duplication

Although other forms were considered and reviewed in the creation of the Boots to Business Course Registration form, there are data points unique to the Boots to Business Program not captured on these other forms. This collection enables the Program to report overall participation and to better identify ways to improve its marketing and outreach.

5. Impact on small businesses or other small entities

Most of the Boots to Business participants are transitioning Service members who are interested in becoming entrepreneurs but have not done so yet. Regarding the B2B|Reboot course, there is some potential that the veteran participants are currently business owners; however, there is no significant economic impact on these small businesses.

6. Consequences if collection of information is not conducted

If the collection is not conducted, the Boots to Business Program will be unable to gather the data critical to measuring program participation and understanding who has actually attended the course from among the eligible population.

7. Existence of special circumstances

There are no special circumstances.

8. Solicitation of Public Comment

To obtain views of persons outside the agency, the 60-day Federal Register notice was published on January 15, 2025, at 90 FR 3985. The comment period closed on March 17, 2025. No comments were received.

9. Payment of gifts

None.

10. Assurance of Confidentiality

At the top of the registration form, respondents are asked to permit SBA the use of their name and contact information for the receipt of SBA surveys and information mailings as part of the Boots to Business alumni network. In addition, the Use of Information paragraph at the front of the form outlines the purpose of the form, why the program requests the information, and how their information is collected under SBA SORN 5- Business and community initiatives and subject to the Privacy Act of 1974 and the Freedom of Information Act. SORN 5 can be found here: https://www.sba.gov/about-sba/open-government/privacy-act/privacy-act-system-records-notices-sorns. A privacy impact statement has been completed and is available here.

11. Questions of a sensitive nature

This information collection collects Personally Identifiable Information. Information such as sex, race, ethnicity, transition type, and years of service are requested in order to track the reach of the Boots to Business course among Service members. The Program can also use this data to identify trends among participants and gauge program impact in reaching specific audiences. Honorable discharge status is requested in a yes or no format to ensure veterans are qualified to attend the B2B|Reboot course which requires veterans be honorably discharged in order to attend the course.

12. ​Estimate the hourly burden of the collection of information

Based on past experience with this course, approximately 1,500 annual respondents are expected to register and/or attend B2B courses where electronic collection will not work, thus requiring completion of the form. The annual hour burden is determined to be about 125 hours. The estimate is based upon a consultation with 7 potential respondents who sampled the draft registration form, averaging 5 minutes for completion.

The average total annual cost burden to respondents is $3,600. The estimate is based on the average monthly salary of transitioning Service members in the amount of $4652.90 and the 5 minutes to complete the registration. The individual cost burden is approximately $2.40.

	Time per Response	Cost per Response
Reporting	5 minutes	$2.40
Recording Keeping
Third Party Disclosure

Annual Number of Responses for this IC	1,500
Annual IC Time Burden (Hours)	125
Annual IC Cost Burden (Dollars)	$3,600

13. The total annual cost burden

There are no additional costs beyond what is included in the response to Question 12.

14. Annualized Cost to the Federal Government

There is minimal cost to the Government as a result of this information collection.

15. Explanation of program changes in Items 13 or 14 on OMB Form 83-I

This is a request for reinstatement with change to a previously approved information collection. Although SBA expects more respondents based on past experience, SBA has reduced the collection burden to the minimum amount of data needed to achieve its purpose. As a result, the estimated average time for a respondent to complete the collection tool has been reduced from 12 minutes to about 5 minutes.

16. Collection of information whose results will be published.

Any reporting of the collected information is at the aggregate level and does not contain individual PII.

17. Expiration date for collection of information

SBA will display the expiration date.

18. Exceptions to certification in block 19 on OMB Form 83-I

We have no exceptions.

B. COLLECTION OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL METHODS

None.