Bronx Chamber of Commerce - Bronx Business News You Can Use

Upcoming Events, Legislative News, Grant Opportunities, & More

(Friday) Extra, Extra Click here for this week's video: Governor Hochul's State of the State Address Metro North Information Session City of YES Public Hearing City Council Discretionary Funding Applications Released Upcoming Events How To Do Business With FDNY - 1.11.2024 10:30 am to 12:00 pm Emerging Professionals: Navigating Financial Literacy 1.18.2024 - 6:00pm to 8:00 pm The International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York 2024 3.3rd - 5th 2024 -10:00am to 5:00 pm

Happy New Year from the Bronx Chamber of Commerce

On behalf of the Bronx Chamber of Commerce, we wish you a year filled with prosperity and success. Thank you for supporting our mission of being a voice for small businesses in the Bronx. To learn more about our mission or to join the Bronx Chamber of Commerce, Click Here

Governor Kathy Hochul's  2024 State of the State Address

Governor Kathy Hochul will deliver her 2024 State of the State address on January 9th, 2024 in the New York State Assembly Chamber. The annual State of the State Address highlights executive proposals and goals for the legislative session. To watch the State of the State Address, select one of the platforms below:  Facebook Twitter/X If you do not have Facebook or Twitter/X, RSVP Here

Public Input Sessions for Future East Bronx Metro-North Stations

The plan to open four new East Bronx Metro-North stations in 2027 is chugging along, but there’s still time for the public to weigh in on the specifics. On Wednesday, Jan. 10, the Department of City Planning will update New Yorkers on the latest iteration of the project, developed with input from a series of previous public meetings and surveys from 2018 through 2023. For more information about the input session, Click Here

City Of YES Public Hearing

On Wednesday, January 3rd, 2024, Department of City Planning (DCP) Director Dan Garodnick announced that the agency will host a virtual online information session to answer frequently asked questions about the City of Yes for Economic Opportunity proposal to be held on Tuesday, January 9 at 11:00 am via Zoom, the event will offer a venue for community leaders to ask DCP questions that have been raised during the public review of the proposal.  On January 24, the City Planning Commission (CPC) will hold a public hearing, followed by a vote in the spring; if the CPC votes to approve the initiative, the City Council will hold a hearing and vote to approve, modify, or disapprove the proposal. To RSVP, Click Here

LEGISLATION & ADVOCACY

Updates on New York State Legislation At the end of the year, Governor Hochul vetoed the bill that would ban all new non-competition agreements for workers in New York. State Legislature passed the bill in June, wanting New York to join other states that have cracked down on the use of noncompete agreements, which companies use to bar employees from working for a competitor for a set amount of time after leaving a job. For more about Assembly Bill A1278B, Click Here Bill S636A, would have required companies and corporations to report certain and specific data, including gender, race, and ethnicity of employees. The bill would have upended a long-held and legitimate belief that the company information is privileged and confidential and should be used only by governmental organizations to determine - on a wide scale - progress in the EEO presented by federal contractors.  For more about Bill S636A, Click Here Bill A6698/S6636 otherwise known as the Grieving Families Act, would have allowed the families of wrongful death victims to receive compensation for emotional harm they suffered. The bill has a decades-old legislative history and would update the state’s 175-year-old wrongful death statute. Hochul vetoed a version that passed last year. In her veto this year, Hochul again cited concerns about intended negative impacts on small businesses and the possibility of increased insurance premiums as a result of the legislation. For more information about Bill A6698/S6636, Click Here

Fiscal Year 2025 Discretionary Funding Applications Released The applications for discretionary funding are now available. The FY2025 application was posted on the Council’s website on Thursday, January 4, 2024, and the submission deadline will be on Tuesday, February 20, 2024. For more information, or to apply, Click Here

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

NYC Funds Finder NYC's Department of Small Business Services (SBS) and Next Street announced the launch of a new platform connecting small businesses with trusted resources they need to open, grow, and maintain their business. The user-friendly platform – NYC Funds Finder is where small businesses can review funding options, including loans and grants, and request free 1-on-1 financing assistance from the SBS team.  NYC Funds Finder is a partnership between SBS and Next Street and the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth. Next Street Scale, the platform that powers NYC Funds Finder, was created to address the hurdles that small businesses, especially those run by women and minorities, face in accessing the resources required to grow their business and build wealth.

M/WBE Certification Unlocking Opportunities The Bronx Chamber of Commerce is proud to partner with NYC SBS to help guide you through the application process of getting certified as a Minority/Woman-Owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE). This certification program, offered by NYC Small Business Services, is a critical initiative aimed at promoting diversity and inclusion in government contracting and procurement processes. The program seeks to create opportunities for businesses owned and operated by minority individuals and women, ensuring they have fair access to government contracts and economic opportunities, opens your business up to increased opportunities from New York City agencies, free advertising in the NYC Online Directory of Certified Businesses, mentorship programs and workshops, networking events, and more. The City has committed to awarding $16 billion in contracts to M/WBE