Lt. Gov. Austin Davis and Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary Rick Siger announced $21,445,823 to provide new support for small businesses across Pennsylvania by creating 11 new Business Assistance Service Centers through the Historically Disadvantaged Business Assistance Program.
These Business Assistance Service Centers will provide technical assistance and business support services to increase access to capital, promote economic empowerment, and boost the overall number of Pennsylvania’s historically disadvantaged small businesses.
“Many of our small businesses could succeed and even expand if they were able to build out their networks and grow their skill sets — these new Business Assistance Service Centers will bridge those gaps. Every Pennsylvanian deserves a fair shot to achieve their own American dream and we’ll continue to make strategic investments that will help build ladders of opportunity for everyone,” said Lt. Gov. Davis.
“Economic development is a team sport, and programs like the Historically Disadvantaged Business Assistance Program help ensure that our small businesses have the right tools and the right partner to help them succeed,” said DCED Secretary Siger. “Through these new Business Assistance Service Centers, we will provide resources directly to the small businesses in Pennsylvania that need it the most, managed in collaboration with the organizations and people that best know the needs of their local communities.”
The new Business Assistance Service Centers will provide direct support that can include one-on-one business counseling, business accounting assistance, employer responsibility training, contract procurement support, as well as help identifying opportunities to leverage local resources already available to assist small businesses. The centers will also hire bilingual staff and offer translation services to ensure these resources are accessible to everyone and easy to use.
The full list of award recipients creating Business Assistance Service Centers are:
- $1,979,133 to the Chester County Economic Development Council to support Berks, Bucks, Chester, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Lebanon, Montgomery, and Perry counties.
- $1,800,000 to Covation Center, INC to provide support statewide to all 67 counties.
- $1,635,097 to the Duquesne University Small Business Development Center to support Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Blair, Butler, Cambria, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Somerset, Washington, and Westmoreland counties.
- $1,222,500 to the Greater Erie Economic Development Corporation to support Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Forest, Jefferson, McKean, Mercer, Potter, Venango, and Warren counties.
- $2,190,524 to Greenline Access Capital to support Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties.
- $2,156,887 to Lehigh University to support Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Monroe, Northampton, and Schuylkill counties.
- $943,337 to North Side Industrial Development Company to support Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Blair, Butler, Cambria, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Somerset, Washington, and Westmoreland counties.
- $1,948,736 to the Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance to support Bradford, Columbia, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Lycoming, Montour, Pike, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Wayne, and Wyoming counties.
- $5,840,690 to the Pennsylvania CDFI Network to support Adams, Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Centre, Chester, Clinton, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Mifflin, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Northumberland, Perry, Philadelphia, Schuylkill, Snyder, Union, and York counties.
- $1,136,200 to Seton Hill University to support Allegheny, Cambria, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Somerset, Washington, and Westmoreland counties.
- $592,719 to the Women’s Opportunities Resource Center to support Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties.
Each of the 11 Business Assistance Service Centers will partner with various local economic development organizations, institutions of higher education, and non-profit organizations to provide support. The full list of the recipients’ partner organizations is available here.
