The Urban League of Rochester has teamed with ESL Federal Credit Union’s Charitable Foundation to provide small businesses in Monroe County $300,000 total in COVID-19 relief funds.
The Sustaining Small Businesses and COVID-19 Relief Grant Program will support small business owners in a number of vital sectors including service/hospitality and lifestyle; health and wellness; and manufacturing. The businesses will receive direct and immediate assistance to combat the impact of the pandemic and to connect individuals with the knowledge, tools and resources they need for long-term stability and growth, officials said.
Grant recipients may use the funds for needed expenses like rent and mortgage payments, utilities, insurance and salaries. Participants also will receive ongoing training through the Urban League’s Business Development division.
Applicants must be for-profit entities with 20 or fewer employees. The business must be privately-held and have revenue of $500,000 or less. At least 50 percent of the individuals employed by the business must be permanent residents of the county of Monroe.
Attica Auto Parts before, left, and after the Attica project. (Provided photos)
The New York State Main Street Program administered by the state Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) is accepting applications until Jan. 15th. The federally funded program is typically part of the annual Consolidated Funding Application round but will run differently this year.
Roughly $6.2 million is available for communities statewide this year.
NYMS provides resources to invest in projects that provide economic development and housing opportunities in downtown, mixed-use commercial districts. Eligible applicants apply to HCR for matching, reimbursement grants ranging from $50,000 to $500,000 to assist downtown property owners with renovation projects or technical assistance projects to support later renovation projects.
Both local governments and nonprofits are eligible for funding, officials said.
Successful applicant requirements include:
• Alignment with “Main Street” and downtown revitalization principles;
• Capacity for applicant organization to administer a renovation grant program;
• Clear need and support in the community
• Ability to leverage private investment;
• Clear financing plan and funding commitments;
• Ability to complete the project within the 2-year grant period.
Grants are awarded in four categories including up to $20,000 for a technical assistance project. TA grants are typically used for building reuse or feasibility studies. The NYMS-TA funds cannot exceed 95 percent of the total project cost and applicants can request an additional $15,000 in streetscape enhancement funds for activities that improve the NYMS target area.
Applicants may request between $50,000 and $500,000 for a Target Area Building Renovation Program. Recipients of NYMS funds may award matching grants of up to $50,000 per building, not to exceed 75 percent of the total project cost to property owners in a designated target area. Renovation projects that provide direct assistance to residential units may be awarded an additional $25,000 per residential unit, up to a per-building maximum of $100,000.
Applicants may request between $100,000 and $500,000 for a standalone, single-site, “shovel ready” renovation project. NYMS Downtown Anchor Project funds are intended to help establish or expand cultural, residential or business anchors that are key to local downtown revitalization efforts through substantial interior and/or exterior building renovations.
Applicants may request between $100,000 and $500,000 to complete a Downtown Stabilization Project. Funds are available to assist with environmental remediation and associated construction costs, as well as other innovative approaches to stabilizing and developing a downtown, mixed-use project.
In response to COVID-19, NYMS has expanded eligible activities to include sustainability and resiliency. Applicants may request to use funds to alleviate the impacts of the pandemic. COVID
Relief activities must be directly related to a building renovation activity and will be awarded on a per-project basis. Funds will be awarded only for eligible activities ancillary to a Target Area Building Renovation or Downtown Anchor project and cannot be applied for on its own.
Additionally, applicants may request a higher amount, up to $60,000, if the additional requested funds directly alleviate COVID-related impacts such as the creation of shared outdoor dining space, among other things. Projects that specifically create paid work for artists or support the artist community will receive favorable consideration, officials noted. Streetscape funds are only available in conjunction with a Target Area Building Renovation or Technical Assistance Project.
Past NYMS success stories include the city of Geneva’s Dove Block Redevelopment project, which was awarded a $20,000 NYMS–TA grant to use for a feasibility study for the historic Dove Block building in downtown Geneva.
The village of Attica completed a New York Main Street program grant in the amount of $250,000, which leveraged more the $827,000 in private investment and helped six property owners to complete renovations in the village’s downtown commercial district.
NYMS is hosting a webinar on Dec. 4 at 10 a.m. for interested parties.
Goodwill of the Finger Lakes is set to receive a $62,500 influx of funding from KeyBank Foundation, one of four annual installments in a $250,000 gift to the nonprofit organization.
Goodwill funds, manages and owns 211/Life Line, an accredited program through the Alliance of Information and Referral Systems, American Association of Suicidology, and International Council for Helplines for Online Emotional Support. The 24-hour program provides free assistance connecting to vital services within the community including help locating basic resources like food, clothing and shelter, as well as crisis stabilization.
The KeyBank funding will support the program’s operational expenses so it can continue to answer calls and inquiries from the Rochester community.
“We have had over 69,000 (calls) from community members who have been negatively impacted by the pandemic since March,” said Goodwill CEO Jennifer Lake in a statement. “At this time last year, we had less than 26,000 calls. Sometimes it’s putting dinner on the table for a family in partnership with Foodlink. Other times it’s helping pay next month’s rent so they aren’t evicted. We’ve heard so many different stories and it paints a very serious picture of what’s happening in Rochester. We’re here for them. We listen and hopefully make life a little easier.”
The organization works with the United Way of Greater Rochester Inc., Foodlink Inc., Ibero-American Action League, Catholic Family Center, the County of Monroe and the city of Rochester, among others, to connect community members to the services they need.
“The support that Goodwill of the Finger Lakes provides to this community through its 211/Life Line is crucial, especially due to the challenges many are facing due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said KeyBank Rochester Market President Phil Muscato. “We are committed to helping this program succeed with this funding, enabling Goodwill to continue to respond to those who need help during this difficult time.”
University of Rochester Medicine’s Nurse Practitioner Residency program will benefit from a $1.2 million federal grant that is expected to expand the program from two residents per year to four.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration grant will provide $400,000 per year for three years to expand the program and add a rural medicine component.
The Highland Family Medicine Nurse Practitioner Residency program was developed in collaboration with UR School of Nursing. It is the first program of its kind statewide.
The Highland Family Medicine Nurse Practitioner Residency program was developed in collaboration with UR School of Nursing. It is the first program of its kind statewide. (photo provided)
“We are very excited about this opportunity to expand our program and help provide more health care in rural communities,” said program Director Kristin Smith.
The program was created in 2016 and is accredited by the National Nurse Practitioner Residency and Fellowship Consortium. The HFM clinic is among the oldest physician residency programs in the country and is internationally recognized for leadership and innovation in the integration of behavioral health into primary care practice.
Six area nonprofits have received social impact grants from L3Harris Technologies Inc. as part of the manufacturer’s effort to provide relief to communities it resides in.
The L3Harris Foundation this month distributed grants in 19 states to organizations that applied for funds to address a wide range of needs, including the digital divide, food insecurity, veteran aid, mentorships for STEM students, economic opportunities for small businesses and more.
Local recipients include Cameron Community Ministries, Gigi’s Playhouse, Gilda’s Club, Rochester Education Foundation, Warrior Salute Veteran Services and Young Women’s College Prep Foundation.
“The pandemic has placed a tremendous strain on all facets of our Rochester community,” said Dana Mehnert, president, communication systems for L3Harris. The division is based in Rochester. “The L3Harris Foundation social impact grants will help provide some relief to those most in need, especially students, parents, communities and small businesses in areas where our employees work and live.”
Cameron Community Ministries’ goal is to serve the community and to break the cycle of generational poverty by teaching independence. The grant will fund full day and hybrid models of academic support for Rochester City School District students during the COVID crisis.
Gilda’s Club will use the grant to provide cancer transitions and survivorship classes to patients in the wake of COVID-19, while REF plans to use the grant to promote college empowerment and FAFSA aid, which has been absent due to the pandemic.
Warrior Salute Veteran Services will provide no-cost telehealth and tele-therapies for veterans dealing with isolation and depressions due to COVID-19, and the Young Women’s College Prep Foundation will use the grant to buy new Chromebooks for students in grades 7 through 12 that attend its charter school.
In addition to the grants, L3Harris has provided more than $450 million in accelerated payments to small-business suppliers in 45 states to sustain the nation’s supply chain. Company employees have volunteered to provide respirators, free communications apps and STEM-oriented “Tech in 10” videos for students.
Staffers also are volunteering to assist organizations through the company’s L3Harris Investing for Tomorrow volunteer program, which supports numerous initiatives throughout the year.
In New York state, L3Harris has donated $267,000 to charities. The company has 20 locations and more than 5,000 employees statewide.
The Golisano Foundation has awarded nearly $230,000 in the fourth round of its COVID-19 Response Grants to six organizations in Western New York and Southwest Florida.
Grants totaling more than $215,000 have been awarded to agencies that serve individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, while $14,000 in grants have been awarded by Bailey and Friends to organizations supporting animal welfare. Bailey and Friends is a component of the Golisano Foundation that is dedicated to supporting animal welfare.
The grants will assist organizations with urgent needs stemming from the coronavirus pandemic.
Awardees include:
• Arc of Monroe – $84,500
• Cobblestone Arts Center – $20,000
• Epilepsy-Pralid Inc. – $15,000
• Happiness House – $31,000
• Daystar Kids – $25,000
• The Summit Center – $40,000
• Humane Society at Lollypop Farm – $3,000
• Keller’s Kats Rescue Inc. – $3,000
• Cape Coral Animal Shelter (Southwest Florida) – $5,000
• Gulf Coast Humane Society (Southwest Florida) – $3,000
Ann Costello
“While agencies, clients and families are growing weary of the COVID-19 restrictions, they certainly understand the importance of maintaining precautions according to New York State guidelines as some programs and activities begin to reopen,” said Golisano Foundation Executive Director Ann Costello. “Providers continue to do a remarkable job of keeping participants engaged and connected in these challenging times.”
This round of grants brings the foundation’s total COVID-19 Response Grant funding to more than $1.3 million.
Through the end of October 2020, the foundation is redirecting some $2 million in grant funding to assist organizations in Western New York and Southwest Florida due to the COVID-19 crisis.
Grants may help cover items such as short-term operating expenses for essential programs, safety net and specialty services; the purchase of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other supplies and equipment; new technology and technical assistance for virtual commuting and telemedicine; cleaning supplies for health and hygiene; efforts to ensure safe distancing in group homes and facilities; among others.
Two local nonprofits will benefit from grants aimed at improving access to health care.
UnitedHealthcare, a UnitedHealth Group company, will award more than $1.3 million in Empowering Health grants to 14 community-based organizations in the state of New York to expand access to care and address the social determinants of health for uninsured individuals and underserved communities.
Lifespan of Greater Rochester will receive $150,000 to support the Community Care Connections integrated care model for older adults and assess the effectiveness of interventions to address older adults’ social isolation and loneliness.
Children’s Institute will receive $30,000 to support Help Me Grow Rochester in screening for and addressing children’s social-emotional health.
In total, UnitedHealthcare will donate $12.3 million through Empowering Health grants across 21 states. The organization launched its Empowering Health commitment in 2018.
More than half of the grants will help organizations increase their capacity to fight COVID-19 and support impacted communities. The grants will help individuals and families experiencing challenges from social distancing, food insecurity, social isolation and behavioral health issues, which are among the most urgent needs resulting from the pandemic, officials said.
“This unprecedented environment has compounded challenges faced by New York’s most vulnerable residents and created further barriers to accessing the health care and services they need,” said Kathy Pizzano, CEO of UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of New York. “Our support of these organizations in New York through this UnitedHealthcare Empowering Health commitment will help provide critical aid and resources to the communities in New York that need it the most.”
Providing access to better health in high-risk and high-need local communities is a profound challenge, officials said. According to the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, nearly 80 percent of what influences a person’s health relates to nonmedical issues, such as food, housing, transportation and the financial means to pay for basic daily needs.
In addition to UnitedHealthcare’s support in New York, the company has launched similar community initiatives and public-private collaborations nationwide focused on addressing social determinants of health. UnitedHealthcare has invested more than $500 million in affordable-housing communities since 2011, partnered with food banks and meal-delivery services, and last year joined with the American Medical Association to standardize how social determinants of health data is collected and used to create more holistic care plans.
The Golisano Foundation has awarded some $416,000 to 11 organizations in Western New York and Southwest Florida in its third round of COVID-19 Response Grants. The foundation has given more than $1.1 million in COVID-19 grants to date.
Third-round grants will help the following organizations serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities with urgent needs stemming from the coronavirus pandemic:
• Arc of Erie – $42,000
• Arc of Ontario – $41,000
• Arc of Genesee Orleans – $61,000
• Arc of Wayne – $75,000
• Gavras Center- $15,000
• Lifespan – $18,000
• Lifetime Assistance Inc. – $50,000
• Mozaic – $20,000
• People Inc. $10,000
• LARC (Southwest Florida) – $39,000
• STARability (Southwest Florida) – $45,000
“The most recent round of applications has signaled a change from emergency preparedness to careful planning for reopening programs and services according to New York state guidelines,” said Golisano Foundation Executive Director Ann Costello. “As much as everyone would like things to get back to normal, agencies are proceeding with caution given the vulnerability of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and the reality that the COVID-19 virus is still with us. The foundation is pleased to be able provide financial assistance during this difficult time.”
Through the end of October, the foundation is redirecting roughly $2 million in grant funding to help organizations in Western New York and Southwest Florida due to the coronavirus crisis.
Funds may help cover items such as short-term operating expenses for essential programs, safety net and specialty services; the purchase of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other supplies/equipment; new technology and technical assistance for virtual commuting and telemedicine; cleaning supplies for health and hygiene; efforts to ensure safe distancing in group homes and facilities among others, officials said.
The Rochester area will receive nearly $4 million in U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funding to help its homeless population during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Emergency Solutions Grants are part of a $4 billion funding allocation nationwide targeted toward communities with high homeless populations or individuals at risk of becoming homeless. Some $1 billion was made available shortly after the signing of the CARES Act, while the remainder was announced this week.
“Homelessness was a major issue in some cities across our nation long before this pandemic occurred, and unfortunately the dire living conditions of our most vulnerable Americans left many without a home to isolate in or proper medical and health care resources to defend themselves against this invisible enemy,” said HUD Secretary Ben Carson in a statement. “As we continued to monitor the effects of COVID-19 in at-risk communities, the department and our partners worked quickly to respond to outbreaks and minimize the spread from hotspots to other locations. This increased funding to help provide for our homeless will make a difference now as we combat the coronavirus and inform long-term, innovative solutions for addressing homelessness in the future.”
To date, HUD has distributed $3.96 billion in grants, with the remaining $40 million being used to provide technical assistance to build capacity of grantees in those communities that have received ESG funding, officials said.
Rochester will receive $2.86 million in this round of funding, while the county of Monroe will receive roughly $935,000. The state of New York has been allocated roughly $400 million in ESG funds in this round. The state has received nearly $1 billion total in ESG funding, officials noted.
ESG funds can be used to make more emergency shelters available; operate emergency shelters by providing food, rent, security, maintenance, utilities, furnishings and more; provide hotel or motel vouchers for homeless families and individuals; provide essential services to homeless individuals including childcare, education services, employment assistance, substance abuse treatment and more; and prevent individuals from becoming homeless and rapidly rehouse homeless people.
The Golisano Foundation has awarded some $265,500 to 10 organizations in Western New York and Southwest Florida in its second round of COVID-19 Response Grants.
The nonprofit has awarded nearly $700,000 in funding to date.
Locally, the grants will help the following organizations serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities with urgent needs stemming from the coronavirus pandemic:
• Alzheimer’s Association of the Finger Lakes – $20,000
• Alzheimer’s Association of WNY – $20,000
• Arc of Livingston Wyoming – $65,000
• Camp Abilities – $5,000
• Catholic Charities Community Services – $50,000
• CDS Monarch – $35,000
• School of the Holy Childhood – $50,000
• Special Touch Bakery – $15,000
“While the requests in this second round were similar to those previously received, we heard from more agencies in rural areas needing to purchase and upgrade technology for staff and clients,” said Golisano Foundation Executive Director Ann Costello. “We’re also seeing the need to implement more telemedicine and teletherapy capabilities. We expect this trend and service delivery model will increase now that we are seeing the benefits, are more comfortable with usage, and reimbursement issues are being worked out.”
Through the end of October 2020, the foundation will redirect roughly $2 million in grant funding to assist organizations in Western New York and Southwest Florida due to the coronavirus crisis.
Grants may help cover items such as short-term operating expenses for essential programs, safety net and specialty services; the purchase of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other supplies/equipment; new technology and technical assistance for virtual commuting and telemedicine; cleaning supplies for health and hygiene; efforts to ensure safe distancing in group homes and facilities among others, officials said.
The next round of grant decisions will be made by June 17.
The Urban League of Rochester N.Y. Inc. has been selected to administer a $100,000 small business stabilization fund provided by the KeyBank Business Boost & Build Program powered by JumpStart.
The Small Business Relief and Retooling Grant Program will support minority- and women-owned businesses in Monroe County and is part of a $500,000 commitment by KeyBank and Jumpstart to provide relief to small business communities throughout Upstate New York in response to the economic hardship caused by the COVID-19 crisis.
The Small Business Relief & Retooling Grant program will augment the city of Rochester’s successful Business Emergency Retention Grant (BERG) by providing targeted assistance to MWBE businesses. The BERG grants, averaging $2,000, may be used for working capital, business expenses to continue operations and to retain employees. Together, the two grants can provide qualified city businesses with as much as $7,000 in grant funding, officials said.
“I applaud KeyBank and the Urban League of Rochester for creating the Small Business Relief and Retooling Grant to help minority- and women-owned businesses survive the economic storm brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren in a statement. “This grant will complement the success of the city’s Business Emergency Retention Grant and help keep minority- and women-owned businesses viable through this challenge. Public-private partnerships like this play a vital role in our efforts to create more jobs, safer and more vibrant neighborhoods and better educational opportunities.”
Vulnerable communities including communities of color have been particularly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Small business owners are facing challenges in sustaining their business during this period and many are ineligible or not positioned to receive federal relief funding, officials noted in the statement. The funding is intended to fill identified gaps in relief funding while also providing technical assistance and one-on-one business consultation, including financial resiliency training classes provided by the Urban League in partnership with TruFund Financial Inc., a New York City-based Community Development Financial Institution.
“The COVID-19 crisis has presented unprecedented challenges to small businesses in our region and they need our collective support,” said Phil Muscato, KeyBank Rochester Market president. “We are proud to partner with JumpStart to provide crucial funding, assistance and hope that will help our community move forward and recover.”
Eligible minority- and women-owned businesses in the industries of service and hospitality, lifestyle or health and wellness, can receive grants of up to $7,000 per business while funds last. Grants will be prioritized for those who could not receive or who were not eligible for emergency relief funding through the SBA.
“Now, more than ever, small business owners need the support of the Urban League to help pivot during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Urban League President and CEO Seanelle Hawkins. “We are grateful to KeyBank for its continued commitment in supporting our community with a keen focus on small businesses. The program will help business owners implement resiliency and retooling strategies to help their businesses move forward and grow.”
Excellus BlueCross BlueShield has awarded 10 local organizations with funding from its Community Health Awards.
Each of the organizations will receive up to $4,000 to help fund programs that include improved infant care, increased access to food pantries and health care services for low-income and uninsured people. Excellus is donating nearly $124,000 to 35 nonprofits across Upstate New York with this round of its awards program.
“Especially during this pandemic, our health plan’s focus is on helping address the economic and social conditions influencing the health of our community,” Excellus BCBS President and CEO Christopher Booth said in a statement. “These grants demonstrate our corporate commitment to supporting community organizations that share our mission as a nonprofit health plan.”
Organizations were selected based on the proposed program’s scope of need, goals and the number of people expected to benefit from it.
Nonprofits chosen from the Finger Lakes Region include:
· Asbury First United Methodist Church, to support the UR Well Clinic, an outreach program within the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry that offers free acute health care to uninsured and underserved adults.
· Cameron Community Ministries Inc., to host a family nurse practitioner (FNP) to conduct wellness checkups and health education for adults at its Wellness Center.
· Catholic Charities of Livingston County, for its Help*Works program that provides emergency services to people living in poverty (including utility help, rent assistance, infant needs such as diapers and formula, furniture, food and gasoline vouchers for employment needs).
· Dimitri House, Inc., to benefit its Emergency Food Cupboard and Drop-In Lunch Program; providing healthy food and beverages to community members who are experiencing the effects of poverty, including those who are homeless.
· Hope Lutheran Church, for its Center for Hope Community Care Center that houses a permanent food pantry, medical services, job coaching and financial mentorship to provide hope and help to an underserved, low-income population.
· Junior League of Rochester Inc., for the Junior League of Rochester Diaper Bank (JLRDB), to provide diapers and diapering supplies to partnership organizations and social workers in Monroe and surrounding counties.
· Legal Assistance of Western New York Inc., to help fund a Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Help Specialist. The WIC Outreach program embeds a Help Specialist in Wayne and Seneca Counties to link pregnant, breastfeeding and postpartum women, and infants and children, with vital nutrition and education support.
· St. Peter’s Kitchen Inc., for pantry assistance that will provide clients and their families increased access to nutritious foods.
· Villa of Hope, to support Hope Place, a peer support program for adults experiencing difficulties with resiliency, recovery and wellness. The program offers linkages and referrals to support services ranging from health care coordination to employment assistance, food pantry, clothing and personal needs and transportation services.
· Willow Domestic Violence Center of Greater Rochester, to support the Client Transportation Fund, providing transportation for victims of domestic violence residing in Willow’s emergency shelter with access to health care and other community services that are necessary to help them lead healthy, violence-free lives.
“These awards complement our existing grants and sponsorships to agencies that work to enhance the quality of life and health of our upstate New York communities,” said Holly Snow, community investments and partnerships director for Excellus BCBS.
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On hand at the Rochester Children’s Dyslexia Center to receive the Odd Fellow & Rebekah Benefit Fund grant award that will fund free tutoring for children with dyslexia and other reading disorders were: New Center Home donor and Parent of a Center student Thomas Gangemi, Orton Gillingham Certified Center Tutors Mariella Meinhold and Edie Jordan, Executive Director of the Odd Fellow & Rebekah Benefit Fund Eugene Urban, Director of the Children’s Dyslexia Center Ann Lupiani Kaczka, Chairperson of the Odd Fellow & Rebekah Benefit Fund Grant Committee Oradell Banker, Children’s Dyslexia Center Board Member Suzanne Pfendt, and Board Chair Brenda Goodfriend.
The Rochester Children’s Dyslexia Center has received a $25,000 grant and relocation assistance to support free tutoring.
The award, from the Odd Fellow & Rebekah Benefit Fund, will help the center continue to provide free tutoring to children with dyslexia and other reading disorders in Monroe and surrounding counties.
“The mission of the Odd Fellow & Rebekah Benefit Fund is well-matched to our own,” center Executive Director Ann Kaczka said in a statement. “The timing of the grant award was crucial, as we were at a dire crossroads facing the threat of closure due to lack of funding. This gift gives us the confidence that we will continue to raise funds from organizations and individuals who understand the impact that specialized one-to-one reading instruction can have on a child who is a struggling reader.”
In 2019, the center’s original leadership voted to cease operations. Parents of the children served by the agency organized and formed a new board and reopened the center. To cut expenses and stay open, leadership decided to relocate the agency. Parents Tom and Melissa Gangemi stepped in to help, conducting a comprehensive search for a suitable location, buying the building and donating the build-out costs.
The couple is providing the space rent-free, officials said.
“Tom and Melissa Gangemi made the center’s new home a reality,” Kaczka said. “Their expertise and generosity helped us navigate this critical step and allowed us to focus on the children’s needs first and foremost.”
The Rochester Children’s Dyslexia Center is on Empire Boulevard in Webster. It provides multi-sensory tutoring in the Orton Gillingham Approach to Reading.
FuzeHub, the statewide New York Manufacturing Extension Partnership center, has launched a competitive grant program that will award a total of $400,000 in COVID-19 manufacturing grants.
Everton Henriques
“In this program, we have a total of $400,000; $100,000 each for two companies that can come up with the ability to manufacture ventilators, and in the area of the N95 respirators or masks we have four $50,000 awards,” said Everton Henriques, NY MEP solutions director for FuzeHub.
The grants will be funded through FuzeHub’s Jeff Lawrence Innovation Fund, which annually awards some $1 million to bolster New York’s manufacturing, technology and startup arenas. The application deadline is 4 p.m. April 17.
“We support economic development in New York State. In looking at the issues, we recognized that there is a shortage of these particular components, not only nationally, but in New York State,” Henriques explained.
The Jeff Lawrence Innovation Fund typically funds two rounds of grants and a commercialization competition, he added.
“We decided that it would be in the interest of the state and communities to repurpose that funding to help offset these needs for materials that are in short supply,” Henriques said.
FuzeHub is particularly interested in the N95 masks for industrial uses. Those masks are approved by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
“It’s important to realize that there are many, many masks out there, but not all are approved, and we’re focusing on masks that we know that once these manufacturers are done they will be able to stay in business, not go out of business immediately,” he said. “People who manufacture NIOSH-approved masks can later satisfy the FDA requirements if they follow the guidelines.”
The NY MEP is a state and federally funded program that is overseen by Empire State Development’s Division of Science, Technology & Innovation (NYSTAR).
The panel reviewing the grant applications will prioritize projects that are clearly defined and ready to be undertaken immediately. Projects will be expected to be completed as quickly as possible to help address emerging shortages of supplies.
“Fuzehub is constantly monitoring the situation and we’re trying to do everything we can to help New York State manufacturers, and in this particular case, the citizens of New York in general,” Henriques said. “The impact (of COVID-19) is — unless you are a required business — your production will be impacted because your workers will not be on the job. The smaller businesses will see an even tighter impact, except the essential businesses. But even then, they’re feeling a strain too.”
A number of Rochester area counties will have access to a $4.5 million federal grant for economic and community development, the New York State Department of State announced this week.
Eligible local counties include Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wayne counties, all part of the Northern Border Regional Commission territory. The territory includes a total of 28 counties in New York, as well as the states of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.
The NBRC is a regional economic development partnership between federal and state governments.
“The NBRC investments are helping communities throughout the northern border region of New York State implement locally identified priorities to support community development,” said state Secretary of State Rossana Rosado in a statement. “We are grateful that New York’s congressional delegation continues to recognize the importance of these funds to Upstate New York. The Department of State looks forward to working with our partners to implement these funds with communities throughout the NBRC region.”
The Department of State’s Division of Local Government Services works with the NBRC and regional planning organizations to solicit project applications. To be eligible, projects must fall within one of these categories:
• Transportation infrastructure
• Basic public infrastructure
• Telecommunications infrastructure
• Employment-related education, entrepreneurship, technology and business development
• Basic health care and other public services to help economically distressed areas
• Resource conservation, tourism, recreation and preservation of open space for economic development
• Development of renewable and alternative energy sources.
NBRC will award up to to $1 million for infrastructure and $350,000 for other projects. Grants within distressed counties require a 20 percent match. In 2019, the state recommended funding for nine NBRC projects totaling more than $3.5 million. Projects funded included water and sewer infrastructure, telecom, business development, entrepreneurship assistance and transportation.
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