Governor Tom Wolf announced $4 million in Community Development Block Grant-CARES Act (CDBG-CV) funding to support communities and their residents in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
NEPA Alliance through the Partnership for Regional Economic Performance (Carbon, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Schuylkill, and Wayne counties) will be providing grants of up to $50,000 for small businesses and up to $15,000 for microenterprises (small businesses that employ few people) located in one of those 7 counties that have been severely impacted due to COVID-19. NEPA Alliance anticipates approximately 150 jobs will be retained or created.
The program is set to launch on Monday, April 25, 2022. Businesses located in Carbon, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Schuylkill, or Wayne County should prepare for the application process by:
- Reading this Program Overview
- Gathering the information listed on this Download Preparation Checklist
- Reviewing Frequently Asked Questions Program FAQ
- Registering with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC), if not already an SBDC client.
The SBDCs at Wilkes University and The University of Scranton will be offering individual guidance at no cost to applicants of this program.
If you are not already working with the SBDC, please visit this link to request services: https://pasbdc.ecenterdirect.com/signup
SBDC Contacts:
For businesses located in Lackawanna, Monroe, Pike, and Wayne Counties:
Donna Simpson, The University of Scranton SBDC, donna.simpson@scranton.edu or 570-941-4176
For businesses located in Carbon, Luzerne, and Schuylkill Counties:
Kristin Sassi, Wilkes University SBDC, kristin.sassi@wilkes.edu or 570-408-4351
Due to an anticipated high volume of applications; it is likely that not all applicants will be awarded a grant.