Central Mass. nonprofits snag portion of $6.7M for small business training
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Worcester Regional Food Hub, led by director Shon Rainford (left), received $89,000 through MassDevelopment's Small Business Technical Assistance Program.
Nine Central Massachusetts nonprofits have received a total of nearly $1 million in grant funding for their efforts to provide small businesses with technical assistance training and access to financing.
Funding for the state grants was provided through MassDevelopment’s Small Business Technical Assistance Program. MassDevelopment is the state’s Boston-based financial agency and land bank, funding economic projects throughout the state.
The Central Massachusetts nonprofits were part of 73 total organizations splitting $6.73 million in grant funding for projects including operating artistic co-working facilities, finance and accounting coaching, and business educational workshops for underserved entrepreneurs, according to a Tuesday press release from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Economic Development. Awardees received between $26,700 and $155,750 in funding.
Worcester specifically received $577,788 in SBTA grants, including the Worcester Regional Food Hub, which was granted $89,000 to finance an eight-week program providing training in food costing, accounting, menu planning/scaling, and digital marketing.
“We are so thankful for the ongoing support from Mass Development and the Executive Office of Economic Development,” Worcester Food Hub Director Shon Rainford said in the release. “Without their support, we would fall short in our efforts to create opportunities for our diverse membership of food entrepreneurs, both programmatically as well as in our new physical location at Worcester's Union Station.”
The Central Massachusetts nonprofits receiving SBTA grants are:
- Latin American Business Organization in Worcester received $155,750.
- Massachusetts Women of Color Coalition in Worcester received $155,750.
- Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce in Whitinsville received $89,000.
- NewVue Communities in Fitchburg received $89,000.
- North Central Massachusetts Development Corp. in Fitchburg received $89,000.
- Southeast Asian Coalition of Central Massachusetts in Worcester received $89,000.
- Worcester Regional Food Hub received $89,000.
- Venture Forum in Worcester received $88,288.
- South Middlesex Opportunity Council in Framingham received $70,777.
“These investments reflect the kind of targeted, high impact support our small business community needs and deserves. I’m especially proud to see funding go to organizations that serve women, communities of color, veterans, and immigrant entrepreneurs—groups that have historically been underrepresented in traditional economic development efforts,” State Rep. David LeBoeuf (D-Worcester) said in the release. “By strengthening their ability to offer one-on-one technical assistance and workforce training, this funding will directly expand opportunity and economic mobility right here in Worcester.”
Mica Kanner-Mascolo is a staff writer at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the healthcare and diversity, equity, and inclusion industries.
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