Assisting your business through the ever changing economic times

Defense Economic Transition Assistance (DETA) Program 

A program of the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center Network

Many small businesses in our country have been adversely affected by recent world events and by shifts in defense spending. Funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration and administered by the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center Network, the Defense Economic Transition Assistance (DETA) program works to provide business technical assistance to individuals and small businesses in Massachusetts affected by such changes.

The DETA program offers a variety of services to new and existing businesses at no cost, including:

• Entrepreneurial Training for Dislocated Workers. Comprehensive business counseling and entrepreneurial training is available to individuals looking to start their own businesses that have been laid off by a defense contractor, subcontractor or a military base/agency.

• Small Business Development Assistance. Business counseling is available to small businesses that have been affected by shifts in defense spending, military base downsizing or closures or international conflicts. Our business counseling services include business plan development/redevelopment, low-interest loan assistance, market research and strategies, government contracting assistance and export assistance.

• Transition Plan Assistance for Large Businesses and Military Agencies/Bases.  When large organizations shift the direction of their business, employee layoffs and decreased use of certain subcontractors often occur. The DETA staff is available to work with human resource staff and contract managers to offer no-cost transitional assistance to the affected individuals and small businesses.

The MSBDC Network has been delivering high-quality business technical assistance small businesses in Massachusetts for over 23 years. Experienced business counselors are available to meet with you at any of our eight centers or 46 outreach sites located throughout the state. To request more information, click on the appropriate link below. Once we receive your request, you will be contacted within a few days by a project coordinator.