Category: Business

Economic Development Opportunity Highlights

Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) Deadline to Apply is THIS FRIDAY, July 30^th at 4pm SHARP!

• All of the 2021 guidelines and resources documents can be found on the MHREDC website
• Be sure to submit your application BEFORE 4pm on Friday, July 30^th.
• If you need tech support, please email CFA-tech@ny.gov.

NEW: Governor Cuomo Announces $200 Million Available For Fifth Round of The Downtown Revitalization Initiative

• Each REDC Region Will Award $20 Million—Two Communities Will Each Receive a $10 Million Award or One Community Will Receive a $20 Million Award
• Unprecedented Level of Support for Communities to Mark Fifth Anniversary of DRI as New York State Rebuilds from COVID-19 Pandemic
• Guidance Available on DRI Website

NEW: Governor Cuomo Launches Second round of $175 Million Workforce Development Initiative

• Second Round of Funding Makes $48 Million Available to Help New Yorkers Find Quality, Well-Paid Jobs and to Meet the Short and Long-Term Workforce Needs of Businesses
• Consolidated Funding Application Through the Regional Economic Development Councils Opens Monday, August 2
• Initiative Aims to Create Economic Opportunity for Every New Yorker and Furthers New York’s Goal to Reimagine, Rebuild and Renew after the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Find the 2021 Guidebook, Program Guidelines and Webinars HERE

REMINDER: The NYSCA FY2022 Application portal is now open and accepting submissions

Before you start your application, we encourage you to review the following resources:

1. Read the NYSCA FY2022 Technical Application Submission Instructions
2. View our step-by-step webinar on registering and applying in the NYSCA FY2022 Application Portal
3. Visit our FAQ for Applicants
4. Review our FY2022 Guidelines and the NYSCA Application Manual
5. Visit and Register in the NYSCA FY2022 Application Portal

For Information on Resources for Businesses in Response to COVID-19, please visit nysbusinessrecovery.ny.gov

Project Highlights

Governor Cuomo Announces New Carrier Set to Land at New York Stewart International Airport This Fall

• Low-fare Carrier Frontier Airlines Launching New Routes to Florida in Key Move to Help Reenergize the Airport
• Frontier, the First New Carrier for the Airport Since the Onset of the Pandemic, Will Provide Regular Service to Miami, Tampa-St. Pete and Orlando

Governor Cuomo Announces $900,000 in Grants Awarded to State Parks, Trails, Historic Sites and Public Lands Partner Organizations

• Leverages Private and Public Funding to Support 30 Projects Across New York
• Awardees in the Mid-Hudson Region include:
  • Calvert Vaux Preservation Alliance ($36,000)
  • Fort Montgomery Battle Site Association ($33,300)
  • Friends of the Old Croton Aqueduct ($24,875)
  • Friends of Rockefeller State Park Preserve, Inc. ($60,000)
  • Harlem Valley Rail Trail Association ($75,000)
  • Little Stony Point Citizens Association, Inc. ($13,500)
  • Walkway Over the Hudson ($64,996)

Governor Cuomo Announces New York Power Authority’s Economic Development Power Allocations Supporting 2,831 Jobs Across New York State

• ReCharge NY and Niagara Hydropower Allocations Approved by NYPA Board of Trustees Spur More Than $549 Million in Private Capital Investments
• Awards to Create 450 Jobs Statewide
• Mid-Hudson companies awarded allocations include:
  • Bon Secours Community Hospital
  • Good Samaritan Hospital of Suffern, NY
  • St. Anthony Community Hospital
  • St. Francis Center at the Knolls
  • Villa Frances at the Knolls

Economic Development Resources

Funding Opportunities:

• Business Pandemic Recovery Initiative
• Round 11 of the Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) Initiative / CFA
• New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) FY2022 funding
• Downtown Revitalization Initiative – due 4pm SHARP on September 15, 2021
• Workforce Development Initiative
• Hudson River Valley Greenway Grant Program – deadlines are Sep 10, and Nov 8, 2021
• Community Development Block Grant Applications for Economic Development, Small Business & Microenterprise accepted throughout 2021 with rolling awards. Learn more HERE.
• Federal Economic Development Assistance, Community Development Block Grant (CDBG-CARES)
  • $60 Million has  been made available through the NYS Office of Community Renewal (OCR) to assist units of local government to respond, prepare for and prevent Coronavirus.
  • Applications are being accepted from units of local government on a rolling basis through August 27, 2021.
• New York Power Authority’s (NYPA) ReCharge NY Program
• NYSERDA
  • Carbontech Entrepreneurial Fellowship Program
  • Clean Energy Communities
  • Energy Programs and Incentives
• Utility Economic Development Programs
  • Central Hudson
  • Con Edison
  • NYSEG
  • Orange & Rockland
• Federal Grants

Technical Assistance for Businesses:

• Get Help Navigating State and Federal Small Business Assistance Programs
  • Empire State Development’s Division of Small Business
  • New York State Small Business Development Center
    • Mid-Hudson Small Business Development Center: Serving Dutchess, Orange, Sullivan, Ulster Counties
    • Rockland Small Business Development Center: Serving Putnam, Rockland, Westchester Counties
  • Women’s Enterprise Development Center
• New York State Certified Business Incubators and Innovation Hot Spots: New York State has designated 10 Innovation Hot Spots—one for each of New York’s economic development regions—and 20 Certified Business Incubators, which receive funding to reach a greater number of early-stage companies. Support may vary by location but generally includes: physical space; shared administrative staff; access to capital; coaching; mentoring; networking connections; prototype development; and access to other technical services. Innovation Hot Spots also coordinate regional entrepreneurial ecosystems, and can offer tax benefits to client businesses. In the Mid-Hudson we have:
  • BioInc @New York Medical College: The region’s only biotechnology incubator offers shared resources, turnkey wet lab space and sponsored professional services to promising, high-potential entrepreneurs and start-ups. BioInc@NYMC helps members achieve development and funding milestones.
  • Hudson Valley Center for Innovation | Accel7: Accel7 is the oldest, continuously operating business and tech accelerator serving the Hudson Valley between Westchester and Albany, focusing on building and launching Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) solutions with early-stage entrepreneurs.
• Business Mentor NY (BMNY): Business Mentor NY is the State’s first large scale, hands-on small business mentoring program that helps NYS entrepreneurs and established small businesses overcome challenges to grow their business. Business Mentor NY is a free resource that allows entrepreneurs and volunteer mentors to easily connect so they can solve problems and build businesses together.
• SBA’s Ascent: Free learning platform for women entrepreneurs
• Business Express: Your Guide to Doing Business in New York State
• Empire State Digital: Connects New York-based small businesses with the education, access and resources needed to digitize, expand and adapt to the new economy due to the changes from COVID-19.
• ESD Global New York: Export Assistance for NYS Businesses
  • Global NY programs connect companies with sales agents and distributors abroad and offset the costs of exporting with grants and loans.
  • Global NY is committed to helping businesses sell their products and services in growing markets including Canada, China, Europe, India, Israel, Mexico, Europe, South Africa and South America.
• For Manufacturers
  • New York State Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NY MEP) Assists Small And Mid-Sized Manufacturers In Becoming More Competitive
  • Fuzehub: Resources for NYS Manufacturers
• NYS Office of General Services: Guidance on Doing Business with New York State

Workforce Development Resources:

• Workforce Development Initiative
• New York Entertainment Workforce Diversity Grant Program
• New York State Jobs Express: Employers with job openings can post their open positions, and individuals looking for employment can search for opportunities on the NYS Department of Labor’s Jobs Express website.
• For Job Seekers:
  • NYS Department of Labor’s Jobs Express website
  • SUNY Online Training Center –free skill-building, college prep, and employment certification programs with one-on-one career coaching
  • Free Online Platform for New Yorkers to Learn New Job Skills, Earn Certificates & Advance Their Careers: Create a free account with Coursera Here

Resources from Employers:

• NY State of Health: Shop here to see what health insurance options are available to you, your family, and your business
• Child Care:Parents in need of free child care resources and referrals are encouraged to visit www.HVChildCare.org, where they can enter their zip code to immediately find the name and contact information of the agency that serves their location.
• NYS DOL Shared Work Program: New York State’s DOL Shared Work Program helps businesses manage business cycles and seasonal adjustments. Shared Work lets businesses keep trained staff and avoid layoffs. Employees can receive partial unemployment insurance benefits while working reduced hours. Full-time, part-time and seasonal employees are eligible.

Data and Reports:

• U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey Data Profiles
• NYS Department of Labor Data
• Empire State Development: Annual Report 2020
• Empire State Development Database of Economic Incentives
• Regional Council CFA Projects
• Mid-Hudson Regional Economic Development Council

New City, NY – Senator Elijah Reichlin-Melnick (D-Rockland/Westchester) has released the following statement: 

“I stand with the journalists of The Journal News, Poughkeepsie Journal, and Times Herald-Record in their formation of the Hudson Valley News Guild, and I call on the management of these three papers and the Gannett parent company to voluntarily recognize this new labor union.

Well-reported journalism is one of the bedrocks of a free society. By keeping citizens informed and keeping government and businesses honest, reporters provide a vital public service. It’s no coincidence that the declining number of local newspapers around the country has coincided with an era of cynicism, civic apathy, and distrust of institutions among many Americans. I deeply appreciate the work of the reporters, photographers, and producers at The Journal News, Poughkeepsie Journal, and Times Herald-Record who provide the Hudson Valley with critically-important coverage of local news stories and events. Our region would suffer greatly without the work of these journalists, and they deserve to be fairly compensated for their work. 

Increasing centralization and the pursuit of corporate profits in the news sector over the last 30 years has led to the consolidation and closure of newsrooms around the country and the decline of real, local news being covered by seasoned professional journalists. Forming a union will help journalists fight for the protections that will allow them to restore integrity to local newsrooms. I stand in solidarity with their efforts.” 

OSSINING, NY – Senator Elijah Reichlin-Melnick presented a New York State Senate Empire Award to Elmer Oliveros, owner of the ‘Brothers Fish and Chips’ restaurant in Ossining, recognizing his contributions to local COVID relief efforts for families in need.

When COVID shut down dining at Brothers Fish and Chips, like many restaurants, they had to lay off employees but were able to keep the kitchen open for takeout. Despite the hardship, owner Elmer Oliveros knew he had to do something to help struggling families and healthcare workers. He decided to do what he knew how to do best, and started making meals for local families and healthcare workers who had been hit hardest by the virus and the economic fallout.

“There were people that needed food, people working long hours in the hospital, and they just wanted a meal. I can’t do everything, but I can cook! So I could at least feed the people that were working hard”, Oliveros said. “It also gave me a chance to feel like I was helping in a very small way. I was overwhelmed by the support, people calling and asking for meals. It became a whole movement.”

As the pandemic continued to rage in April 2020, Elmer Oliveros joined other Westchester County-based chefs in contributing his seafood paella recipe to the “Westchester Cooks” cookbook. The proceeds from the cookbook sales raised money for the Lifting Up Westchester organization, which provides food, shelter, and support to people in need of assistance in Westchester County.  

Senator Elijah Reichlin-Melnick said, “Brothers Fish and Chips is the type of family-owned small business that is critical to our community’s success. Elmer and his team stepped up to help their neighbors during the COVID-19 pandemic, and they deserve to be recognized for their contributions to Ossining, Westchester county, and all New Yorkers. Oh, and if you haven’t tried Elmer’s cooking yet, you’re missing out!”

Elmer Oliveros comes from a family of chefs, and Brothers Fish & Chips is the culmination of years of hard work. The restaurant originally opened as a takeout only counter, with a limited fish and chips menu. In 2015, Brothers expanded next door to include a dining room & bar, and enlarged their menu to include modern and eclectic seafood dishes. They have now added a food truck, bringing the fresh and ever-changing menu beyond the restaurant doors. Brothers Fish and Chips is located at 172 N Highland Ave in Ossining.