Partners & Resources

With thousands of job and career opportunities available in the Pittsburgh region, many companies need help developing a diverse workforce.

The Small Diverse Business Capital Access Program is administered by the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority (PIDA) and provides low-interest loans and lines of credit to small diverse businesses that commit to creating and retaining full-time jobs within the commonwealth. Loan applications are packaged and underwritten by a network of certified economic development organizations (CEDOs) that partner with PIDA to administer the program. For information on additional funding programs, visit DCED’s Programs page.

Hebrew Free Loan Association of Pittsburgh has announced a Coronavirus Financial Bridge Loan Program to provide interest-free loans on a nonsectarian basis for up to $5,000 to residents of Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Westmoreland, Washington, and Armstrong counties who are facing financial challenges caused by the Coronavirus/COVID-19 outbreak.

Allegheny Lead Safe Homes is a program through Allegheny County Economic Development that offers qualifying homeowners and renters in Allegheny County free home lead-paint testing and hires a certified lead abatement contractor to stabilize or eliminate lead-paint. Examples of work include repainting, chipping, and peeling lead-painted surfaces, window and door repair or replacement, and enclosing old exterior lead-painted trim.

Pennsylvania Minority Business Development Authority (PMBDA) is a low-interest loan program designed to stimulate the creation, retention and expansion of minority-owned businesses and create jobs in Pennsylvania. Eligible applicants are for-profit business enterprises owned and controlled by one or more socially or economically disadvantaged persons who are residents of the Commonwealth.

A project must serve distressed areas or support neighborhood conservation. Projects must fall under one of the following categories: affordable housing programs, community services, crime prevention, education, job training, or neighborhood assistance. A tax credit of up to 55% can be awarded.

View the Neighborhood Assistance Program application checklist to help guide you in your application submission: https://dced.pa.gov/download/checklist-for-neighborhood-assistance-program/?wpdmdl=113831

The purpose of the CCNF is to provide support to small, Black Led Organizations (BLOs) responding to critical needs in the Black community resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Information and links for tools that help your business go virtual: video conferencing, meetings, process management, dashboards, studying, training and more.

An agency of the United States Department of Commerce, the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) promotes the growth and global competitiveness of minority-owned-and-operated businesses while focusing on job creation for minority business entrepreneurs. MBDA’s team of business advisors offers capital and financial management access, business consulting, contract and market access, and global business development services.

Long-term collaborations (five years or more) of business, government, and community leaders to produce comprehensive, asset-based, relationship-driven approaches to community development. A tax credit of up to 75% or 80% can be awarded based on the length of the program (Please refer to the guidelines for more information).

View the Neighborhood Partnership Program application checklist to help guide you in your application submission: https://dced.pa.gov/download/checklist-for-neighborhood-partnership-program/?wpdmdl=113833

For various reasons including natural migration and climate change, ticks continue to plague our area during warm months. This year, in particular, tick populations are especially high. As our communities have fun in the sun, it’s important to remember tick prevention safety.

Learn more about tick prevention by watching the webinar and reviewing the fact sheet from the Allegheny County Health Department linked below.

Webinar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1d2pQolOmUk
Fact sheet: https://www.alleghenycounty.us/uploadedFiles/Allegheny_Home/Health_Department/Resources/Data_and_Reporting/Infectious_Disease_Epidemiology/Beware-of-Ticks.pdf

A Shared-Work plan allows an employer to temporarily reduce the work hours of a group of employees and divide the available hours equally rather than laying off any employees. Employees covered by a Shared-Work plan receive a percentage of their Unemployment Compensation (UC) Weekly Benefit Amount (WBA), while they work the reduced schedule, if they are otherwise eligible for UC.