Lehigh Valley gaining Business Assistance Service Centers

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More than $21 million is being invested by the Shapiro-Davis Administration to create small Business Assistance Service Centers across Pennsylvania, including the Lehigh Valley. 

Funded through the Historically Disadvantaged Business Assistance Program, the 11 new Business Assistance Service Centers will provide support to a variety of small businesses. 

Lt. Gov. Austin Davis and Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary Rick Siger announced the Shapiro-Davis Administration is investing $21,445,823 to provide new support for small businesses across Pennsylvania by creating 11 new Business Assistance Service Centers through the Historically Disadvantaged Business Assistance Program. 

According to a release, these Business Assistance Service Centers will provide technical assistance and business support services to increase access to capital, promote economic empowerment, and boost the overall number of Pennsylvania’s historically disadvantaged small businesses. 

“Small businesses are the backbone of Pennsylvania’s economy, which is why the Shapiro-Davis Administration is finding new ways to offer meaningful support directly to our small business owners,” Davis said in a statement. “Many of our small businesses could succeed and even expand if they were able to build out their networks and grow their skill sets — these new Business Assistance Service Centers will bridge those gaps. 

“Every Pennsylvanian deserves a fair shot to achieve their own American dream and we’ll continue to make strategic investments that will help build ladders of opportunity for everyone,” added Davis. 

The new Business Assistance Service Centers will provide direct support that can include one-on-one business counseling, business accounting assistance, employer responsibility training, contract procurement support, as well as help identifying opportunities to leverage local resources already available to assist small businesses, per the release. In addition, the centers will also hire bilingual staff and offer translation services to ensure these resources are accessible to everyone and easy to use. 

“Economic development is a team sport, and programs like the Historically Disadvantaged Business Assistance Program help ensure that our small businesses have the right tools and the right partner to help them succeed,” said Siger. “Today’s announcement sends a clear message that the Shapiro-Davis Administration is here to support small businesses. 

“Through these new Business Assistance Service Centers, we will provide resources directly to the small businesses in Pennsylvania that need it the most, managed in collaboration with the organizations and people that best know the needs of their local communities,” added Siger. 

The award recipients creating Business Assistance Service Centers involving Lehigh Valley counties include the following: 

• $1,800,000 to Covation Center, INC to provide support statewide to all 67 counties. 

• $5,840,690 to the Pennsylvania CDFI Network to support Adams, Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Centre, Chester, Clinton, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Mifflin, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Northumberland, Perry, Philadelphia, Schuylkill, Snyder, Union, and York counties. 

• $1,979,133 to the Chester County Economic Development Council to support Berks, Bucks, Chester, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Lebanon, Montgomery, and Perry counties. 

• $1,800,000 to Covation Center, INC to provide support statewide to all 67 counties. 

• $5,840,690 to the Pennsylvania CDFI Network to support Adams, Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Centre, Chester, Clinton, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Mifflin, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Northumberland, Perry, Philadelphia, Schuylkill, Snyder, Union, and York counties. 

• $2,156,887 to Lehigh University to support Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Monroe, Northampton, and Schuylkill counties. 

• $1,979,133 to the Chester County Economic Development Council to support Berks, Bucks, Chester, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Lebanon, Montgomery, and Perry counties. 

• $2,190,524 to Greenline Access Capital to support Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties. 

• $592,719 to the Women’s Opportunities Resource Center to support Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties. 

Each of the 11 Business Assistance Service Centers will partner with various local economic development organizations, institutions of higher education, and non-profit organizations to provide support.  

Pennsylvania is now directing more contracting dollars to small and small diverse businesses than ever before — including a 45% increase in spending with Black-owned and Latino-owned businesses over the past two years. Pennsylvania for the first time has surpassed $1 billion in contracts with small businesses, small diverse businesses, and veteran-owned business enterprises two years in a row.