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 $727,384 to the El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce through the MBDA Business Center cooperative agreement program. The award will fund technical assistance, training, education, and advisory services to minority business enterprises to prevent, prepare for, and respond to effects of COVID-19 through June 30, 2022. Performance metrics include the number of minority businesses assisted, informed of COVID-19 assistance programs, and that submit applications or receive awards from such programs, with a focus on economically distressed areas. The MBDA Business Center program aims to promote and ensure growth of minority enterprises through innovative projects, such as the services here to support minority businesses affected by the pandemic.

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.