It’s not easy keeping up with the challenges of today’s digital world, and small businesses can find it hard to learn new technical skills. Fortunately, local organizations are stepping up to offer technical support to small businesses in your community. This has been especially important in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic which has made it even harder on small businesses.

To help, we’re giving out New York State small business grants via our Small Business Technical Assistance program. These grants will offer funding for the resources that our economic development partners need, so they can continue to serve and support local businesses in New York.

What kind of projects qualify?

Technical assistance grants support the organizations that work directly with their local small businesses. This will allow for even more small business support across our New York service area. Organizations that qualify for these New York State small business grants include:

• regional chambers or economic development organizations
• organizations in partnership with local economic development organizations or chambers
• local economic development organizations, local chamber of commerce or other community-level organizations that provide services to small businesses in the National Grid territory
• regional consortiums of local small business assistance organizations
• organizations with demonstrated success in providing technical services to small businesses.
  
  

What are the requirements?

To qualify for our New York small business recovery grant program, grantees must provide direct technical support for small “main street” businesses in one or more of the following areas:

• assistance in applying for loans, grants or other assistance
• guidance in implementing local, state and/or federal regulations
• linking small businesses with existing resources
• providing resources for business startups and the local entrepreneurial ecosystem.
  
  

In addition, grantees will track, report and evaluate impacts on the businesses receiving the technical assistance, including:

•  number of business districts served
• number of businesses contacted
• number of businesses served
• number of employees in those businesses
• specific resources and assistance provided to each business
• other outcomes outlined in a specific proposal.
  
  

What you can do to help

Small businesses need all types of technical assistance. From addressing accessibility to marketing and beyond. Here are the areas in which grant funding can be used:

• creating and printing of collateral material and other outreach materials
• assessing business sentiment and resource needs such as survey of businesses
• marketing costs to promote business support services
• staffing costs for incremental outreach, education and technical assistance to aid businesses in complying with federal, state and local regulations
• language/accessibility assistance for non-English speaking businesses
• increasing and expanding diversity among business owners and organizational leadership.
  
  

Funding

Funds can only be used in direct support for small business technical assistance or identifying resources for local businesses. Funding for this New York State small business grant cannot be used to cover overhead costs (i.e. rent, salaries, existing systems), nor can it be used for general community events. Grant applicants are eligible for 50% of the grant upon award, and the remaining balance upon completing half of the project.

Grant amounts are determined based on the minimum number of business districts served, businesses served and organizational partners.

The maximum funding awarded can be increased by up to 150% if over 51% of the businesses being assisted are located in low-to-moderate income (LMI) households as identified by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Application process

If you meet all of the previously stated requirements and are interested in applying for a Small Business Technical Assistance Grant, please have the following information ready for your application:

• W-9
• statement of need
• project description (how will your project address the business needs)
• budget description
• detail project budget
• letters of support
• partnership agreements, multi-group applications only.
  
  

Interested in applying for a grant?

Learn more about the program