Technical Assistance Grants Available to Vermont Small Businesses impacted by COVID-19

The Regional Development Corporations of Vermont are part of a new grant program that will deliver technical assistance to small businesses to aid with business recovery from COVID-19 impacts.

The technical assistance program is part of a national initiative through the Vermont Small Business Development Center (VtSBDC) as part of the Small Business Administration’s Community Navigator Pilot Program (CNPP). Funding for the program is coming from the Small Business Administration and Vermont’s COVID community development block grant program (CDBG-CV) funded by the U.S. Housing and Urban Development.

The CNPP uses a “hub and spoke” model, with VtSBDC as the central hub, and nine Vermont spoke organizations creating impact on the ground. Vermont’s Regional Development Corporations, as one of the “spokes” are using this opportunity to relaunch the highly effective ReVTA pandemic relief program to provide direct, specific, technical assistance through Vermont technical assistance vendors to Vermont small businesses. CNPP is designed to reduce barriers that all small businesses—including those owned by historically underserved groups such as veterans, women, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and disabled business owners, and those from rural communities—often face in accessing critical support.

The RDC program has signed up Vermont vendors to deliver technical assistance, including but not limited to: business operations; financial management; digital strategies; architecture and design; reconfiguring production processes and updating safety measures; technology and software consulting; and legal and professional services. Businesses requiring technical assistance register for the program, get matched to a service provider, and agree to a scope of work. Once the work is completed to the satisfaction of the client and program managers, the service provider is paid through the grant program. If you have a project in mind and already know the vendor you would like to work with, have them register now. Or, you can choose from the vendors that are already registered.

To be eligible, business receiving the technical assistance must:

• Be registered to do business in Vermont and be located in Vermont;
• Have at least $5000 in average annual gross revenues;
• Have been established as a Vermont business as of March 15th, 2020; and
• Have the ability to demonstrate an impact (negative or positive) by COVID-19

This is a first-come, first-served program. Registration portal for potential clients opens March 14, 2022. Vendors (service providers) may register now. To learn more about the program, to register, and to view the vendor or client webinars, visit: https://www.vermonteconomicdevelopment.com/faqs

For information on the technical assistance provided by the other “spokes” in the CNPP, click here: https://www.vermonteconomicdevelopment.com/cnppspokes

If you have questions, contact Fred Kenney, ACEDC Executive Director, at fkenney@addisoncountyedc.org or (802)777-8349.

This work is supported with funding, in part, through a grant with the U.S. Small Business Administration. Additional support is made possible, in part, by a grant from the State of Vermont, Vermont Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) CARES Act (CV).