In the News

Below are a few select articles about the MSBDC Network that made headlines and/or relevant information for small businesses. Click on link to read the story.

• Feb 27, 2023 - Cliff Paredes Tapped to Lead the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center Network

• Feb 07, 2023 - America’s SBDC Launches New Annual Report Showcasing the SBDC Network’s Nationwide Impact (press release | Massachusetts report | national report)

• Jan 09, 2023 - 2023 Growth Accelerator Fund Competition: The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is offering $50,000 to $200,000 in prize awards for impactful and inclusive approaches to foster a thriving, collaborative national innovation support ecosystem to advance research and development (R&D) from ideas to impact.

• Dec 21, 2022 - SBA reminds private nonprofit organizations (PNPs) in Massachusetts that Jan. 18 is the filing deadline for federal economic injury disaster. PNPs located in the Massachusetts counties of Bristol, Norfolk, Plymouth and Suffolk, including the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, are eligible to apply. Examples of eligible non-critical PNP organizations include, but are not limited to, food kitchens, homeless shelters, museums, libraries, community centers, schools and colleges.

• Dec 19, 2022 - North Star has developed resources for small businesses that cover a variety of topics and can help your small business navigate the sometimes overly complicated subject matter of cyber and data protection. In addition to America's SBDC resources, you will find resources available from partner organizations that have developed their own materials.

• Dec 12, 2022 - Don't miss the Massachusetts Export Center's virtual Export Expo on January 27, 2023! Click here for details. Check back often as this page is updated frequently.

• Dec 02, 2022 - FBI director raises national security concerns about TikTok

• Nov 22, 2022 - Two grants are available for farmers through the Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NE-DBIC): Dairy Food Safety & Certification Grant (application deadline January 19, 2023) and the Dairy Farm Innovation & Alternative Management Grant (application period December 1, 2022 - February 2, 2023 at 2pm ET).

• Nov 21, 2022 - MSBDC hosts capital matchmaker event in Worcester

• Nov 03, 2022 - SBA Administrator Guzman Announces Path Forward for Veteran Small Business Certification Program

• Oct 28, 2022 - MSBDC Speaks at Capital Access Summit for Small Business in Brockton

• Oct 22, 2022 - Massachusetts Export Centers' Global Trade Economic and Regulatory Outlook event a success!

• Oct 21, 2022 - Santander Group economist tells Mass. Export Center recession ‘further down the line’ than expected

• Sep 09, 2022 - SBA Working Capital Loans Available in Massachusetts for Secretary of Agriculture Disaster Declaration for Drought

• Sep 02, 2022 - Cape Cod Culinary Incubator Announces the Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting of the First Shared-Use Commercial Kitchen

• Aug 30, 2022 - SBA Working Capital Loans are available in parts of Massachusetts due to Secretary of Agriculture’s disaster declarations for drought. Restrictions apply - eligible counties include Barnstable, Bristol, Dukes, Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk and Worcester. Contact your local Massachusetts Small Business Development Center regional office for details and assistance with this loan. If you are a new client, complete a Request for Counseling for the appropriate regional office.

• Aug 24, 2022 - SBA Office of Entrepreneurial Development Associate Administrator Mark Madrid Visits the Greater Boston Regional SBDC

• Jul 25, 2022 - Vanished Valley Brewing Company thanks MSBDC for support

• Jul 2022 - HarborOne's 7th Annual Small Business Pitch Contest application is open from July 15 - August 31 with a prize of $10,000! If you are a small business owner looking to launch a new product or service, or expand an existing product or service, you are invited to participate.

• Jul 2022 - The Pitchfork Challenge is a national rural pitch competition with a prize of $10,000! Application due by July 25, 2022. This competition is part of the Radically Rural Conference that will be held in Keene, NH in September. 

• Jun 28, 2022 - Senator Markey Visits the SBA Massachusetts District Office

• Jun 2022 - Innovation Station at Mount Ida Campus in Newton

• Jun 7, 2022 - Updates to Manage your SVOG grant (sba.gov). New content posted related to the Active Grantee stage under the How to respond to the Final Budget Action Item and How to respond to the Expense Report Action Item sections, as well as a new section overviewing Audit requirements, including a link to our recorded “Introduction to Single Audit” webinar and other Audit-related technical assistance resources.  

• Jun 6, 2022 - Read the results of the 2022 Small Business Exporting Survey: How Small Firms Do Business Globally conducted by the Export-Import Bank of the United States and the National Small Business Association. This survey shows growing interest in exporting among small businesses as well as increased appetite for export-related assistance and education.

• May 24, 2022 - NOAA predicts above-normal 2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season

• May 04, 2022 - The Protectowire Company Named Exporter of the Year: Pembroke-based firm reaching customers in over 100 countries worldwide with support from the Massachusetts Export Center and SBA STEP grants

• Apr 20, 2022 - U.S. Small Business Administration announces that certain Private Non-Profit organizations (PNPs) in Massachusetts that do not provide critical services of a governmental nature may be eligible to apply for low-interest disaster loans. PNPs located in Bristol, Norfolk, Plymouth and Suffolk counties including the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe in Massachusetts are eligible to apply.

• Feb 05, 2022 - Committee approves legislation to increase funding for small business development centers

• Jan 28, 2022 - Opening Remarks by Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration Thea Kendler to the 2022 Massachusetts Export Expo

• Jan 28, 2022 - Russian industry targeted, not consumers, if Biden export curbs imposed

• Dec 13, 2021 - SBA Administrator Guzman Announces $1.1 Million in Awards to Support Native American Entrepreneurs

• Dec 01, 2021 - The FY22 Travel and Tourism Recovery Grant Program is dedicated to campaigns and initiatives that increase consumer spending, support local businesses, and advance community recovery efforts to support businesses in Massachusetts. Deadline is January 19, 2022.

• Oct 28, 2021 - Legislative Caucus On International Trade & Global Competitiveness Hosts “International Commerce & The Commonwealth: Roles & Resources” 

• Oct 15, 2021 - Securities & Exchange Commission's (SEC) Office of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation recently launched a new tool for small business - an interactive capital raising navigator tool

• Sep 09, 2021 - Register for the National Small Business Week Virtual Summit on September 13-15

• Sep 09, 2021 - Biden Announces Employer Vaccine Mandate

• Sep 08, 2021 - Paycheck Protection Program borrowers: If your loan is $150,000 or less, you may be eligible to apply for direct forgiveness through SBA using the online portal.

• Jul 28, 2021 - SBA Announces Opening of Paycheck Protection Program Direct Forgiveness Portal

• Jul 21, 2021 - Innovation and collaboration space opens at Mount Ida Campus of UMass Amherst

• Jul 14, 2021 - U.S. Government Launches First One-Stop Ransomware Resource at StopRansomware.gov

• May 28, 2021 - The SBA Community Navigator Pilot Program is designed to provide high quality support and assistance with pandemic relief programs and recovery services to small businesses and entrepreneurs.

• Apr 21, 2021 - The Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) provides funding to help eligible restaurants, bars and other businesses keep the doors open. Registrations begin on April 30 at 9 a.m. with applications opening on May 3 at noon EDT.

• Apr 18, 2021 - SBA aims to reopen the SVOG (Shuttered Venue Operators Grant) by the end of the week of April 18, 2021.

• Apr 10, 2021 - Executive Spotlight on Keith Girouard, regional director of the MSBDC Berkshire Regional Office

• Apr 8, 2021 - Due to technical difficulties, SBA has temporarily suspended the SVOG (Shuttered Venue Operators Grant) application portal. SBA is working closely with the portal vendors to reopen as soon as possible.

• Mar 25, 2021 - Business Certifications Explained: The Basics (updated March 2021)

• Mar 25, 2021 - Microenterprise Forgivable Loan opportunities available for businesses in Franklin County, and other towns in western Mass, click here and go to "Resources for All Businesses"

• Mar 24, 2021 -SBA is raising the loan limit for the COVID-19 EIDL program from 6-months of economic injury with a maximum loan amount of $150,000 to up to 24-months of economic injury with a maximum loan amount of $500,000.

• Mar 23, 2021 - The Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) program was established through the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits and Venues Act and amended by the American Rescue Plan Act to provide over $16 billion in economic relief to target industries. Eligible applicants may qualify for grants equal to 45% of their gross earned revenue, with the maximum amount available for a single grant award of $10 million. $2 billion is reserved for eligible applications with up to 50 full-time employees. The SVOG application will open April 8, 2021. Click here for FAQs.

• Mar 23, 2021 - SBA is now allowing applicants that file IRS Form 1040, Schedule C to calculate their maximum loan amount using gross income instead of net profit, which may enable some borrowers to access higher loan amounts. See the form for First Draw PPP applicants and Second Draw PPP applicants online.

• Mar 22, 2021 - CDFI & CDC Matching Capital Program seeks to support the recovery, resiliency, and growth of small businesses in underserved communities post COVID-19 by providing matching capital to eligible non-profit community-based lenders.

• Mar 21, 2021 - As part of the Administration’s “Partnerships for Recovery” plan to stabilize and grow the Massachusetts economy, the Workforce Skills Cabinet has announced a new grant program, the Rapid Reemployment Program. Through this program, occupational training providers partner with MassHire Centers and at least one employer to build specific skills in the labor market and match those skills with good jobs. Target sectors include in-demand Healthcare, Information Technology, Financial Services or Transportation occupations. Importantly, the Rapid Reemployment model leverages the performance based contracting approach used in the Career Technical Initiative. Eligible lead applicants are Massachusetts based training providers with experience and existing training capacity to deliver occupational training to the target population for proposed targeted occupations. Read more about this program here.

• Mar 16, 2021 - SBA announces extended deferment periods for COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program until 2022.

• Mar 15, 2021 - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General is alerting the public about fraud schemes related to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19)

• Mar 10, 2021 - Recent federal legislation created a new grant program, the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, to be administered by the SBA. Stay tuned for news about this program’s opening in the coming weeks!

• Feb 18, 2021 -  New grant program aims to empower black-owned small businesses across New England through $25,000 grants and a direct assistance program

• Jan 18, 2021 - Pandemic has opened doors for entrepreneurs

• Jan 05, 2021 - SBA introducing "Ascent", the first-of-its-kind online resource specifically designed to help the nearly 10 million American women entrepreneurs grow and scale their small business. All content is backed by research on the needs of empowering women business owners and female entrepreneurs.

• Jan 05, 2021 - SBA Extends COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan Application Deadline through Dec. 31, 2021