| In honor of the New York Boulders’ 10th Anniversary, on behalf of the Town of Ramapo, Supervisor Michael Specht presented Team President Shawn Reilly and the Boulders with a Proclamation at last Wednesday night’s game declaring it New York Boulders Day. |
New York State
NYS Covid-19 Pandemic Small Business Recovery Grant Program opens
Empire State Development is happy to announce the New York State COVID-19 Pandemic Small Business Recovery Grant Program is now open! This program was created to provide flexible grant assistance to currently viable small businesses, micro-businesses and for-profit independent arts and cultural organizations in New York that have experienced economic hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The program is administered by ESD and powered by Lendistry.
Grant awards will be calculated based on a business’ annual gross receipts for 2019:
| Annual Gross Receipts (2019) | Grant Amount |
| $25,000 – $49,999 | $5,000 |
| $50,000 – $99,999 | $10,000 |
| $100,000 – $500,000 | 10% of gross receipts ($50,000 max grant) |
For eligibility requirements and more information regarding the New York State COVID-19 Pandemic Small Business Recovery Program, and to begin your application, please visitwww.nysmallbusinessrecovery.com
NEW YORK BLOOD CENTER ANNOUNCES BLOOD EMERGENCY WITH NEW MEDIA CAMPAIGN TO HELP INCREASE DONATIONS
NEW YORK – Today New York Blood Center announced a blood emergency, with a 3-day blood
supply. The long-term impact of the pandemic has resulted in a year of virtually no youth firsttime donors, 3000 fewer blood drives and 100,000 New Yorkers that have yet to return to donate since before the pandemic.
Complicating matters, recently there has been a surge in blood usage as hospitals perform surgeries and patients seek medical care that was postponed during the pandemic. The increased need and lag in donors has created a chronic gap in blood donations.
“As the region reopens, hospitalizations are going up and far outpacing the number of donations we are receiving,” said Andrea Cefarelli, Senior Executive Director Recruitment and Marketing. “Through our new media campaign, we must raise awareness and encourage lapsed donors who have not donated since before COVID-19 to return and to attract the next generation of blood
donors to help us build a healthy blood supply.”
In partnership with advertising agency Markham Yard, NYBC’s new campaign spans radio, cable, social media and more. Through humor and compelling narrative, the campaign is being launched to show a new generation of potential donors not only how important it is to regularly donate blood, but also how easy it can be.
With this campaign, NYBC is hoping a bit of humor will help tackle preconceived notions around donating blood and send the message that donating blood is easy. With funny and relatable advertisements that list “things that hurt more than giving blood”, NYBC is using the campaign to demonstrate to New Yorkers that giving blood is simpler and less painful than life’s awkward moments.
Donating blood is safe and it only takes one hour. We are taking extra precautions to help prevent the person-to-person spread of COVID-19. NYBC staff are also practicing health self-assessments prior to presenting at work. As always, people are not eligible to donate if they’re experiencing a cold, sore throat, respiratory infection or flu-like symptoms. Additional information on donor
eligibility and COVID-19 precautions is available here.
Donors can schedule appointments by calling 1-800-933-2566 or visiting www.nybc.org.
Economic Development Opportunity Highlights
$800 million New York State COVID-19 Small Business Recovery Grant Program
- Provides grant funding to eligible small and micro businesses and for-profit independent arts and cultural organizations impacted by the pandemic.
- Grants will be flexible and can be used for a number of different business operating expenses, including payroll, rent or mortgage payments, taxes, utilities, PPE or other business expenses incurred between March 1, 2020 and April 1, 2021.
- Grant awards will generally range between $5,000 – $50,000 depending on 2019 annual gross receipts.
- Program application details are still being finalized, but if you are a New York State small business owner or your organization’s members would like to receive updates about the COVID-19 Pandemic Small Business Recovery Grant Program, please click here. You will be alerted when more information is available, and applications are being accepted.
- The application portal is expected to be open on June 10th, 2021.
- For more information about the grant program, including a list of documentation required in the application, see details HERE.
- We recommend that interested applicants begin gathering documents for application in advance of June 10th.
Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) Now Open
The eleventh round of the CFA is now open with over $750 million in funding available through more than 30 state programs.
- Since 2011, the first year of the REDC initiative, the CFA has enabled businesses, municipalities, not-for-profits and members of the public to apply for multiple sources of funding from dozens of state agency programs through a single application, for projects that create jobs and help to revitalize communities.
- All of the 2021 guidelines and resources documents can be found on the MHREDC website at https://regionalcouncils.ny.gov/mid-hudson, including:
- 2021 Available Resources Guide – This year there are over 30 programs available through nine state agencies.
- 2021 REDC Guidebook – Learn more about the 11th round of the REDC initiative.
- 2021 CFA Program Webinars – Find recorded webinars for all funding programs available in this year’s REDC round.
- 2021 CFA Application Guide
- CFA Deadline for many programs: 4:00 PM SHARP on July 30, 2021
- Note: The deadline does not apply for open enrollment programs, which will continue to accept applications on an ongoing basis.
Attend an upcoming Virtual CFA Information Session!
Information sessions are hosted by ESD team members ready to answer questions about the CFA process. Register for an upcoming event below:
Critical Manufacturing (CM) Virtual Corporate Security Engagement (CSES) Series
- The Critical Manufacturing Virtual Corporate Security Engagement Series will feature speakers from the Department of Homeland Security, other U.S. Government entities, the Critical Manufacturing sector, state and local agencies, as well as the private sector. Speakers at this event will address topics including a Threat Brief: Critical Manufacturing Sector, Framework for Identifying Cybersecurity by Risks, Distribution and Supply Chain Challenges, and Security Consideration to Protect Intellectual Property.
- Wednesday, June 9, 2021, from 9:00am—11:30am EDT
- Register here
2021 Mid-Hudson Regional MWBE Online Opportunities Expo
- The expo will feature an online experience with panel discussions, information on regional projects, workshops on special topics and other business development resources.
- It will also include information about State-sponsored financial and technical assistance programs, including the New York Forward Loan Fund the Bridge to Success Loan Program, and the New York State Surety Bond Assistance Program.
- Join the Mid-Hudson MWBE expo on Thursday, July 22, 2021.
- Register to attend HERE.
- Learn more about this year’s MWBE Online Expos HERE.
For Information on Resources for Businesses in Response to COVID-19, please visit nysbusinessrecovery.ny.gov
Additional Updates
Small Business Boot Camp: Diversity is Good for Business with Edward Lawson, Jr., JD, MBA (FACES Inc)
- This presentation will explore diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies that assist organizations in maximizing an environment in which differences are validated and cherished, and in which each employee and customer is valued and respected.
- Thursday, June 17, 2021 at 6:00 p.m.
- Register here
- The Small Business Administration (SBA) & Public Private Strategies Institute (PPSI) is providing an educational opportunity to learn more about the community navigator pilot funding opportunity created by the American Rescue Plan Act.
- This program is intended for and open to all community-based organizations, chambers of commerce, business associations who share our mission of helping to reach every small business owner who needs help.
- See the Notice of Funding Opportunity here. According to the website the deadline to apply is July 12, 2021.
RCC Marketing Team Named Finalist in Global Solutions Sustainability Challenge
ROCKLAND COUNTY, N.Y. (June 3, 2021) – Rockland Community College honors class won second place in the Global Solutions Sustainability Challenge where twenty-seven international teams from institutions in the U.S., Iraq and Jordan competed in a competition focused on technology and sustainability.
The Global Solutions Sustainability Challenge is funded by the Stevens Initiative, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and is administered by the Aspen Institute. It is also supported by the Bezos Family Foundation and the governments of Morocco and the United Arab Emirates. The program is implemented by IREX, a global development and education nonprofit organization dedicated to building a more just, prosperous, and inclusive world.
The RCC team was awarded second place in the competition, along with an award of $1,500 to be used to further develop their project on creating a smart technology-based agricultural solution to help farmers around the globe optimize their utilization of water for irrigation.
“Jordan relies on one primary water source for all of their needs, and proper water management is essential for their future. Through our prototype, named MIST, we saw a reduction in water use by 50%. An advancement in this system could potentially save a standard commercial farm over a million dollars a year on their water cost,” says Samuel Erard, A.S. Business Administration Honors Track.
The RCC team was selected as one of six finalists to progress to the Virtual Business Expo. At this event, a student representative from Rockland Community College and from Middle East University presented a 3-minute Shark Tank style pitch to an audience of over 100 people and panel of 6 judges.
“Today’s students are global citizens and will have to work together to devise solutions to shared global issues,” says Catherine Roche, RCC Professor of Business and RCC’s team facilitator. “This project-based experiential learning experience enabled students to develop cross-cultural awareness as well as workplace skills such as teamwork, problem solving, critical thinking, decision making, and empathy. I was impressed with students’ commitment to the project and am very proud of the professional work they collectively produced.”
The prize money will go towards launching the technology that was pitched during the competition to help farmers – not only in Jordan but throughout the world – to save water and improve harvests.
“Working with an entirely different culture was a great learning experience,” says Michelle Meilhon, A.S. Business Administration Honors Track. “I was proud to be part of the team – we worked really hard and it truly paid off.”
For more information on this project, visit the website and the video they produced.
https://www.h20united.com
About Rockland Community College, State University of New York
Rockland Community College, State University of New York, offers a safe, supportive learning environment for thousands of students from diverse backgrounds who appreciate small class sizes and personal attention from a distinguished, award-winning faculty that includes Fulbright scholars and SUNY Distinguished Professors. Thanks to the school’s affordable tuition, students who begin their career journey at RCC and then transfer to a four-year college can save up to $100,000 on their education. RCC is also proud to provide career training and professional development to adult learners looking to change careers or upgrade their skills through its new Career Skills Academy. More information can be found at sunyrockland.edu.