The minority business development agency will use the coronavirus response and relief funding to serve and provide a more comprehensive relief to minority business enterprises to prevent, prepare for,…

The Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) awarded $459,456 under the MBDA Business Center cooperative agreement to provide technical assistance, training, education, and advisory services to minority business enterprises affected by COVID-19. The award recipient, Metropolitan Economic Development Association (Meda), will assist minority business enterprises in Minneapolis, Minnesota from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022.

Key performance metrics for Meda include the number of minority businesses assisted, informed of COVID-19 assistance programs, and submitting applications to programs. Meda will also track awards issued and minority businesses in economically distressed areas assisted. The funding supports the MBDA's MBDA Business Center federal grant program objectives under the CFDA number 11.805 to promote innovative projects aiding minority business growth.

The minority business development agency will use the coronavirus response and relief funding to serve and provide a more comprehensive relief to minority business enterprises to prevent, prepare for, and respond to effects of covid-19. Such assistance will include technical assistance, training, education, and advisory services to minority business enterprises. The performance goals and metrics include: number of minority business enterprises affected by covid-19 that are assisted by the business center; number of minority business enterprises informed and/or referred by the business center to covid-related local, state, and federal government assistance programs; number of MBE applications submitted to local, state, and federal government assistance programs as a result of business center assistance; number of awards issued by local, state, and federal programs to minority business enterprises assisted by the business center; and number and type (small, medium, large, ) of minority business enterprises affected by covid-19, in economically distressed areas, assisted by the business center.