Sections 1103, 1107 and 1108 of the CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act) provide $240 million in funding to small business development centers, $25 million in funding to women’s business centers and $10 million in funding to minority business centers and chambers of commerce for education, training and advice to their members.
Sections 1103 and 1108 say that the government may provide grants for resource partners (i.e. small business development centers, women’s business centers, minority business centers and minority chambers of commerce) to provide these services and advice to small and/or minority owned businesses affected by COVID-19 on topics such as:
- Accessing and applying for federal resources related to capital and business resiliency;
- Hazards and prevention of COVID-19 and other diseases;
- The potential effects of COVID-19 on supply chain, distribution and sale of products and how to mitigate those potential effects;
- Management and practice of telework;
- Management and practice of remote customer service;
- Risk and mitigation of cyber threats in remote customer service and telework;
- How to mitigate the effects of reduced travel and/or outside activities; and
- Any other business practices necessary to mitigate the economic effects of COVID-19.
Be on the lookout for additional resources for your business that may be provided by your local business development centers if they apply for grants under these sections of the Act.
