Pennsylvania awards $15 million in grants to support small businesses

The Department of Community and Economic Development has announced that $15 million in grants has been awarded to support small businesses across Pennsylvania.

Community and Economic Development Secretary Rick Siger announced the awards on Tuesday. The funding, through the Historically Disadvantaged Business Assistance Program, will support the creation of 10 micro-grant programs that will help small businesses with costs needed to start or expand their businesses.

“This initiative is about making sure Pennsylvania’s small businesses have the resources, partnerships and support they need to grow and compete,” Siger said in a statement. “These micro-grants will deliver targeted resources to the businesses that need them most, working hand in hand with trusted community partners who understand their unique challenges and opportunities.”

This latest round of funding will support 10 programs that will be administered through a service center, regional economic development organization or institution of higher education, according to the release. Among the recipients are five programs that support businesses in southeastern Pennsylvania, including Berks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties.

Among the micro grant recipients are:

• $8.45 million to the Pennsylvania CDFI Network to provide support to all 67 counties.

• $1.1 million to the Chester County Economic Development Council to support Berks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Bucks, Perry, Cumberland, Dauphin and Lebanon counties.

• $700,000 to Lehigh University to support Berks, Lehigh, Northampton, Schuylkill, Carbon and Monroe counties.

• $500,000 to Greenline Access Capital to support Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Bucks and Philadelphia counties.

• $500,000 to the Women’s Opportunities Resource Center to Montgomery, Chester, Delaware, Bucks and Philadelphia counties.

Additional recipients include:

• $1.1 million to Seton Hill University

• $1 million to the Greater Erie Economic Development Corporation

• $1 million to the Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance

• $400,000 to the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

• $250,000 to North Side Industrial Development Company

“We are excited to continue our work with the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development in support of historically disadvantaged small businesses,” PA CDFI Network CEO Varsovia Fernandez, said in a statement. “HDBA funding comes timely, particularly for rural areas where small businesses are facing challenges accessing capital. A small grant can help them borrow a lesser amount they may qualify for, to acquire equipment or inventory necessary to increase sales.”

This generous grant will allow us to expand our successful Owner Occupied Commercial Real-Estate program to the Southeast Pa Collar counties by offering grants toward the closing costs and we will also pair grants ranging from $2500 to $10,000 with our microloans so businesses have the opportunity, based on capacity and need, to obtain the capital they need to start, stabilize or grow their business,” said Lynne Cutler, Women’s Opportunities Resource Center executive board chair and founder.

Funding through the Historically Disadvantaged Business Assistance program was opened in December 2024 to create Business Assistance Centers across Pennsylvania. These offer technical support services to small businesses. In November, more than $21 million in funding was awarded to crease 11 such centers.

Source: The Mercury