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Wednesday, September 14, 2022
Third Avenue Business Improvement District - Missed out on COVID-19 Relief? Apply.
Governor Hochul Announces Launch of New York's First-in-the-Nation $200 Million Seed Funding Grant for Early-Stage Businesses Impacted by COVID-19
Provides Assistance to Help Early-Stage Small and Micro-Businesses Recover and Grow in a Post-Pandemic Economy
State's Successful COVID-19 Pandemic Small Business Recovery Grant Program Will Expand Eligibility as it Winds Down Available Funding
More Information on the Seed Funding Grant Program Can Be Found Here
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that the applications portal for the first-in-the-nation Seed Funding Grant Program, created as part of the FY2023 budget, will open on September 14. The program provides flexible grants to support early stage, micro and small businesses in a still recovering New York State economy. The program will ensure that small businesses that opened shortly before or during the COVID-19 pandemic will have the funds to continue to operate and grow.
"This first-in-the-nation Seed Funding Grant Program rounds out $1 billion in flexible funding to support both early-stage, and established small and micro-businesses," Governor Hochul said. "New York businesses were among the hardest hit nationwide at the height of the pandemic, but with this funding, we're extending a lifeline to help them continue to grow and operate. Applications open tomorrow, and I encourage all New York business owners to take full advantage and be a part of New York's remarkable recovery."
This program builds upon New York State's existing $800 million Pandemic Small Business Recovery Grant Program, which has delivered more than $639 million to over 35,000 small businesses since it launched last year, with ninety percent of funding having gone to minority and women-owned businesses. Starting today, Empire State Development will expand eligibility for the program, enabling more small businesses to access funding by removing the requirement that businesses show a twenty-five percent loss in annual gross receipts from 2019 to 2020. This expansion of eligibility comes in addition to previous program changes to profitability requirements and revenue thresholds, aimed at serving additional small businesses. The program, which will continue to process applications currently in the pipeline, will close as funding winds down on September 30, 2022.
Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, "The pandemic has had profound impacts on our economy and our small and micro businesses were among the hardest hit, especially in New York State. Supporting our State's small businesses has been a priority of Governor Hochul's administration and the steps taken to expand eligibility and get funding out the the door has helped countless businesses stay on track. The $800 million Pandemic Small Business Recovery Grant Program and now the new Seed Funding Grant Program marks unprecedented support for New York State's small businesses and for our economic success moving forward."
SEED FUNDING GRANT PROGRAM:
The new Seed Funding Grant Program is designed to support New York State small businesses, micro-businesses and for-profit independent arts and cultural organizations that started operations on or after September 1, 2018 and have been operational for at least six months before an application is submitted. Applicants must have between $5,000 and $1 million in gross receipts per year as reflected on their most recent federal business tax return. More detailed guidelines can be found here.
Awards for eligible businesses are based on their 2020 or 2021 tax returns. Businesses with gross receipts ranging from $5,000 to $49,999.99 can receive $5,000 per business. Businesses with $50,000 to $99,999.99 in gross receipts may be awarded $10,000 per business. Businesses with $100,000 to $1 million in gross receipts will be awarded ten percent of their gross receipts with a maximum grant amount of $25,000 per business. Eligible applicants that have not yet filed a federal tax return can receive $5,000 per business.
PANDEMIC SMALL BUSINESS RECOVERY GRANT PROGRAM:
Businesses that have started but not yet completed their current application for the Pandemic Small Business Recovery Grant Program must submit all necessary information by 5:00 p.m. on September 30, 2022. Recognizing the various challenges that small business owners face, New York State provides one-on-one assistance, webinars, a call center, and materials in fourteen languages to ensure greater access to this critical funding. Additionally, ESD's network of partner organizations that offer support services to entrepreneurs and small businesses will help with pandemic relief grant and loan applications. More information can be found here.
The successful Pandemic Small Business Recovery Grant Program has as strong track record of ensuring critical funding is going towards those eligible businesses most in need: Micro-businesses, defined as companies with ten or fewer employees, have received over 98 percent of the awards. Just over 90 percent of the grants have been awarded to minority- and women-owned business enterprises (MWBEs) and over 47 percent of grant awards went to socially and economically disadvantaged businesses. To date, the average grant award is $17,783.
About Empire State Development
Empire State Development (ESD) is New York's chief economic development agency (www.esd.ny.gov). The mission of ESD is to promote a vigorous and growing economy, encourage the creation of new job and economic opportunities, increase revenues to the State and its municipalities, and achieve stable and diversified local economies. Through the use of loans, grants, tax credits and other forms of financial assistance, ESD strives to enhance private business investment and growth to spur job creation and support prosperous communities across New York State. ESD is also the primary administrative agency overseeing the New York State Regional Economic Development Councils and the marketing of "I LOVE NY," the State's iconic tourism brand. For more information on Regional Councils and Empire State Development, visit www.regionalcouncils.ny.gov and www.esd.ny.gov.
Tuesday, September 13, 2022
Van Nest Neighborhood Alliance September Meeting
This was the first meeting after taking two months off for summer vacation and VNNA President Bernadette Ferrara had a full agenda with several special guests. The two speakers were City Council members Oswald Feliz and Marjorie Velazquez. Councilwoman Velazquez had a family emergency but Councilman Feliz was able to talk for more than the amount of time both council members would of.
Councilman Feliz went over a long list of items saying however his top priorities are Public Safety and Crime. He wants the streets to be safe and the no consequences to many small crimes is not helping the quality of life in the city. The garbage in the streets and graffiti with the business crime on Fordham Road makes his head want to explode. He wants more cops, and the city needs to do a better job in improving the quality of life in the Bronx. He then went through a list of monies he earmarked for various parks and playgrounds. Jacqueline Crossan of Councilwoman Velazquez's office agreed with Councilman Feliz that quality of life is important to people.
VNNA President Bernadette Ferrara gave her President's report giving a brief summary of dates and events over the past two years of Community Board 11, and called on the District Manager of CB 11 to announce the September 29th Public Hearing CB 11 will be having on the Just Home proposal to house severely ill former inmates and those awaiting trial in a currently unused building on the Jacobi Hospital Campus. The public hearing will be held at the Jacobi Hospital Medical Center Rotunda to the right of Building #4.
Councilman Oswad Feliz address the audience at Monday's Van Nest Neighborhood Alliance meeting.
VNNA President Bernadette Ferrara calls on Community Board 11 District Manager (far right) to raise his hand so the audience can see him. To Ms. Ferrara's right is VNNA Senior Advisor Bob Nolan, VNNA Vice-President Sharlene Jackson Mendez, and Secretary Marion Manfredi.
The VNNA Executive Board, Councilman Feliz, Jacqueline Crossan of Councilwoman Velazquez's office (far right) and the many people who were in the audience.
Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress Combating COVID-19 - SEPTEMBER 13, 2022
Governor Encourages New Yorkers to Keep Using the Tools to Protect Against and Treat COVID-19: Vaccines, Boosters, Testing, and Treatment
44 Statewide Deaths Reported from September 10 to September 12
Governor Kathy Hochul today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress combating COVID-19.
Governor Kathy Hochul today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress combating COVID-19.
"As we head into the fall, I urge New Yorkers to remain vigilant in keeping themselves, their loved ones, and their communities safe and healthy," Governor Hochul said. "Take advantage of the vaccine by staying up to date on doses. Test before gatherings or travel and if you test positive, talk to your doctor about potential treatment options."
Last week, Governor Hochul announced the availability of bivalent COVID-19 vaccine boosters from Pfizer-BioNTech for anyone age 12 or older and from Moderna for those 18 or older. To schedule an appointment for a booster, New Yorkers should contact their local pharmacy, county health department, or healthcare provider; visit vaccines.gov; text their ZIP code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233 to find nearby locations.
In addition, Governor Hochul announced that masking will now be optional in multiple settings where they were previously required, including on public transportation, in for-hire vehicles, at airports, homeless shelters, correctional facilities, and detention centers. Masks will continue to be required at adult care and health care facilities regulated by the state Department of Health, and in clinical settings regulated by the Office of Mental Health, Office of Addiction Services and Supports, and Office for People With Developmental Disabilities.
Today's data is summarized briefly below:
- Cases Per 100k - 14.93
- 7-Day Average Cases Per 100k - 18.56
- Test Results Reported - 36,116
- Total Positive - 2,917
- Percent Positive - 8.07 %**
- 7-Day Average Percent Positive - 6.96%**
- Patient Hospitalization - 2,192 (+49)*
- Patients Newly Admitted - 798
- Patients in ICU - 231 (+1)
- Patients in ICU with Intubation - 76 (-8)
- Total Discharges - 340,575 (+653)*
- New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 44*
- Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 57,857*
** Due to the test reporting policy change by the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and several other factors, the most reliable metric to measure virus impact on a community is the case per 100,000 data -- not percent positivity.
The Health Electronic Response Data System is a NYS DOH data source that collects confirmed daily death data as reported by hospitals, nursing homes and adult care facilities only.
Important Note: Effective Monday, April 4, the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is no longer requiring testing facilities that use COVID-19 rapid antigen tests to report negative results. As a result, New York State's percent positive metric will be computed using only lab-reported PCR results. Positive antigen tests will still be reported to New York State and reporting of new daily cases and cases per 100k will continue to include both PCR and antigen tests. Due to this change and other factors, including changes in testing practices, the most reliable metric to measure virus impact on a community is the case per 100,000 data -- not percent positivity.
- Total deaths reported to and compiled by the CDC - 73,939
This daily COVID-19 provisional death certificate data reported by NYS DOH and NYC to the CDC includes those who died in any location, including hospitals, nursing homes, adult care facilities, at home, in hospice and other settings.
Each New York City borough's 7-day average percentage of positive test results reported over the last three days is as follows **:
Borough | Saturday, September 10, 2022 | Sunday, September 11, 2022 | Monday, September 12, 2022 |
Bronx | 5.83% | 5.69% | 5.69% |
Kings | 3.64% | 4.15% | 5.11% |
New York | 5.12% | 5.11% | 4.99% |
Queens | 6.86% | 6.75% | 6.69% |
Richmond | 5.74% | 5.89% | 5.92% |