News From Governor Hochul
Governor Hochul Announces Plan to End State Mask Requirement in Schools Starting March 2
“With more New Yorkers getting vaccinated, and the steady decline over the past several weeks in cases and hospitalizations from Omicron, we are now entering a new phase of the pandemic. Because New Yorkers have stepped up, we can confidently remove the statewide mask requirement in our schools. This is a huge step forward for our kids and communities and I am grateful to the students, educators and parents for their dedication to keeping us all safe—we’ve reached this milestone because of your hard work.”
- View the Governor’s Presentation Here
Governor Hochul Announces “Fast NY” Grant Program to Attract Key Industries to Shovel-ready Sites
- FY23 Budget Will Make Up To $200 Million Available for Growing High-Tech Industries Across the State
- New FAST NY Online Portal Launched to Solicit Interest and Provide Program Updates
Upcoming Events
Village of Haverstraw DRI Public Meeting
- Thursday, March 3, 2022, 7-9pm
- Haverstraw Center, 50 West Broad Street, Haverstraw, NY
- No RSVP required
- Learn more here
Village of Ossining DRI Public Meeting
- Tuesday, March 8, 2022, 6-8pm
- Virtual event – visit https://bit.ly/ossiningdri to join the meeting
- Learn more here
Reminder: Attention New York State Artists, Cultural Workers, and Creatives
- Please join Creatives Rebuild New York (CRNY) and New York State Council on the Arts’ NYSCA PRESENTS for an online information session to learn more about CRNY’s three-year $125M investment in the financial stability of New York State artists and the organizations that employ them.
- March 3, 2022 from 12PM to 1PM: Click here to register
- March 17, 2022 from 12PM to 1PM: Click here to register
As a reminder, the Guidelines for CRNY’s Guaranteed Income for Artists and Artist Employment Program are now live on the Creatives Rebuild New York website.
New: SBDC, Building Resilience, A Virtual Conference for Women in Business
- On March 8, 2022, in honor of the International Women’s Day, the Mid-Hudson Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is hosting the Building Resilience Conference for Women in Business, a free virtual event from 1:00-5:00 PM.
- There are three sessions, each with three unique presentations that include an interactive period of Q&A. The first session focuses on Health and Wellness – Finding Balance and features a presentation entitled Promoting Mindful Wellbeing, and two panels: Build Resilience & Grow your Business and Self-care for the Business Owner.
- The second session focuses on Business Essentials – Foundation with two presentations: Branding Done Right and Friend or Foe? The True Nature of Numbers Revealed, and one panel, Long-term Strategies for Financial Health.
- The third session of the conference focuses on Business Success – Planning Ahead with two presentations, Why Me? Create a Culture of Leadership and Create Financial Independence, and one panel, Long-term Strategies for Financial Health.
- Register here
New: NYS DOL
- Attend the City Winery Hudson Valley Career Fest
- Launch your career in hospitality and entertainment by joining to discover career opportunities at City Winery
- City Winery Hudson Valley, 23 Factory Street, Montgomery, NY 12549
- March 9, 2022 12:00pm to 4:00pm
- RSVP here
- For questions please contact careers@citywinery.com
Economic Development Opportunity Highlights
New: NYSEG and RG&E Announce Grants Available to Business Customers Impacted by COVID-19
- New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG) and Rochester Gas and Electric (RG&E) today announced funding available for business customers through the companies’ COVID-19 Economic Relief Program.
- Eligible businesses with costs related to COVID-19 after March 15, 2020 can apply for up to $50,000 in grant assistance.
- The assistance is designed to retain businesses and jobs during these difficult times by promoting the economic recovery of New York businesses that incurred costs due to the pandemic.
- Large business customers can apply for up to $50,000 of assistance and small business customers can apply for up to $15,000 of assistance. Applicants must meet specific billing criteria available on the websites: lookupstateny.com/covidrelief/NYSEG and lookupstateny.com/covidrelief/RG&E
- Businesses with questions about the program or about their company’s eligibility can call 855.846.2982 or email NYSEGRGECovidRelief@icf.com for more information.
Rural Business Development Grants
- This program is designed to provide technical assistance and training for small rural businesses. Small means that the business has fewer than 50 new workers and less than $1 million in gross revenue.
- Eligible Applicants: towns, communities, state agencies, authorities, nonprofit corporations, institutions of higher education, federally-recognized tribes, rural cooperatives (if organized as a private nonprofit corporation).
- Eligible Area: RBDG money must be used for projects that benefit rural areas or towns outside the urbanized periphery of any city with a population of 50,000 or more. Check eligible areas here.