SCORE is the SBA's largest network of volunteer business mentors — more than 10,000 volunteers in 250+ chapters nationwide — offering free, confidential mentoring, workshops, and resources to small business owners at every stage from startup to exit.
SCORE (score.org) is a nonprofit resource partner of the SBA. Founded in 1964, it operates as an independent 501(c)(3) organization that receives SBA funding to deliver free mentoring services to small business owners. As of the most recent SBA annual report (sba.gov/about-sba/sba-performance/open-government/data-act-compliance/annual-performance-reports), SCORE provides mentoring to roughly 300,000+ small business clients per year across all 50 states and U.S. territories. Mentoring model: SCORE matches entrepreneurs with volunteer mentors who have specific industry or functional expertise — finance, operations, marketing, technology, manufacturing, retail, legal, accounting. Sessions can be in-person at local chapter offices, virtual (video or email), or hybrid. All mentoring is free, confidential, and unlimited — you can access the same mentor repeatedly or multiple mentors for different questions. Primary use cases for financing: SCORE mentors are particularly valuable for loan application preparation — helping borrowers build realistic 3-year financial projections, stress-test cash flow models, structure the narrative in a business plan, and review draft SBA loan applications before submission. Many SCORE mentors are retired bankers, CFOs, or CPAs with direct SBA lending experience. SCORE vs. SBDC: Both are SBA resource partners offering free services. The key difference is delivery model — SBDCs are primarily staffed by paid professional advisors with deep functional expertise in specific areas (often with licensing and certification requirements); SCORE mentors are volunteers with real-world business experience. SBDC is stronger for detailed financial modeling; SCORE is stronger for mentorship relationships and peer-learning over time.
Yes. All SCORE mentoring is free and confidential — funded through SBA grants and private donations. Workshops may charge nominal fees ($0–$50) to cover materials, but online/on-demand content is free at score.org. There is no catch, no sales pitch, and no obligation. SCORE mentors are prohibited from soliciting business from clients.
Go to score.org and use the 'Find a Mentor' tool to search by zip code, industry, and specific expertise. You can request mentoring in-person, by video, or by email. Most chapter assignments happen within 1-2 business days. For specialized needs (e.g., federal contracting, export, franchise), filter mentors by specialty.
Both are free SBA resource partners. SCORE uses volunteer mentors (often retired executives) for ongoing mentorship relationships. SBDCs use paid professional advisors for intensive one-on-one counseling and are stronger for detailed financial analysis, loan application preparation, and technical business development services. Most small business owners benefit from using both — SBDC for intensive project work, SCORE for ongoing mentorship.