RDRC’S SOUTHEAST QUEENS BUSINESS INCUBATOR DEBUTS AT THE QUEENS CHAMBER BUSINESS EXPO 2025!
On Tuesday, June 17 RDRC participated as a vendor/exhibitor at the Queens Chamber Business Expo held at Citi Field. The Expo featured over 140 exhibitorsaviation, food & beverage, gaming, tech, cyber security, finance and banking, construction, professional services, media, marketing, and organizations such as RDRC focused on small business growth. “The Expo served as a great opportunity for RDRC to introduce the Southeast Queens Business Incubator (SEQBI) to dozens of Queens businesses or established businesses interested in expanding into Southeast Queens. The SEQBI, sponsored by Resorts World NYC is providing opportunities for younger, established businesses to strengthen their back-end (continued on page 3)
L to R: Dr. Lola Ojomu-Kayoes and Renee McWilliams interacted with dozens of small business owners.
L to R: Kevin Alexander, Renee McWilliams, and SBA’s Man-Li Lin. operations. As a member of the Queens Chamber we are exploring ways to leverage our partnership with the Chamber to increase opportunities for our SEQBI alumni”, stated Kevin Alexander.
REMINDER!!!!
Last week RDRC announced that it is accepting applications for the SEQBI Summer Session 2025. On Wednesday, June 18 the 2 of 4 Info-Sessions, will be held. Join us every Wednesday via Zoom until July 2 for info on how to join SEQBI. Each year, 4 new Cohorts will be launched (Spring, Summer, Fall & Winter). The Summer Incubator course commences on July 9 and runs for 8 weeks.
24 hours a day/7 days a week Take AirTrain to Howard Beach (free exit to Ride App Pick Up lot)
Through the upcoming summer travel season, the airport will face the dual challenge of higher volumes of air travelers combined with the peak of construction activities for the $19 billion redevelopment of JFK. Customers are strongly advised to use mass transit to and from the airport, such as MTA New York City Transit subway or buses, or MTA Long Island Rail Road — with 20-minute trains from Grand Central Terminal or Penn Station to the AirTrain JFK station at Jamaica. For motorists, the Port Authority encourages the use of its free drop-off, pickup and waiting lot at the Lefferts Boulevard AirTrain JFK station, where passengers can easily connect to the free on-airport AirTrain for an eight-minute ride to airport terminals.
Visit Construction.JFKAirport.com for the latest updates and travel advisories before heading to the airport.
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LaGuardia Airport Ground Access Program
M/WBEs or Local, Queens-based businesses interested in potential sub-contracting opportunities listed below:
NYC Small Business Services Business Prep Risk Assessment & Grant
Over the next several weeks RDRC will working with the Office of Councilwoman Selvena Brooks-Powers, SBS, REMA4US and Crescent Consulting to provide additional information and support for businesses interested in applying.
Business PREP helps small businesses prepare for emergencies and enhance the resiliency of their operations, assets, and physical space. Program components include:
Emergency Preparedness Workshops and Webinars to educate on business continuity best practices.
Resiliency Online Resources including a Self-Assessment Tool to understand and help mitigate risks
Risk Assessments and Grants for commercial tenants and property owners operating out of a location at risk of flooding
NYC Small Business Services Business Prep Risk Assessment & Grant
Business PREP Risk Assessment & Grant Program (continued)
SBS will come to your business to:
Review your physical space, operations, and insurance coverage. Provide a custom report to prepare your business for future disruptions.
Applicants who receive an assessment may also be eligible for a grant of up to $5,000 to buy recommended equipment, such as flood barriers, generators, and fireproof storage containers to improve disaster resiliency.
Key Eligibility Requirements:
Located in an area at risk of flooding. Small business has been in operation for at least 1 year. Annual revenue does not exceed $30 million.
Did not previously receive any grant or benefit from the NYC Department of Small Business Services Business PREP Grant Program or the RISE: NYC program
All required licenses and permits are current.
TO APPLY CLICK HERE:
2024 BUSINESS GRANTS & MORE
SPECTRUM PAY IT FORWARD PROGRAM
Spectrum Reach's Pay It Forward program offers selected small businesses free advertising campaign worth up to $15,000, including live and streaming TV, a custom-produced 30-second commercial, expert marketing consultation services and mentoring
Deadline: 12/31/2025
ALL GRANTS - WOMENSNET | GRANTS FOR WOMEN IN BUSINESS | SMALL BUSINESS GRANTS (AMBERGRANTSFORWOMEN.COM)
The Amber Grant by WomensNet is providing $10,000 and $25,000 grants for female entrepreneurs to achieve their business dreams.
To be eligible, applicants must be a women-owned business or a female entrepreneur. Further, Applicants must share their business or business idea and explain how they would use the grant money.
Deadline: Monthly
BUSINESS GRANT OPPORTUNITY
What is a Neighborhood Business Grant?
A Neighborhood Business Grant is a microgrant given out to New York small business owners by CitizensNYC. CitizensNYC awards microgrants of up to $5,000 for initiatives your small business undertakes to positively impact your community.
Who is eligible to apply for a Neighborhood Business Grant?
Applicants must meet the following criteria to be considered for a Neighborhood Business Grant:
• • • • • Their business must be located in one of New York City’s five boroughs. Their business has been operating for at least two years. They must have 10 or fewer employees. They must be profit-generating. They must be able to provide proof of business, such as bank statements, tax documents and POS terminal statements.
As long as you meet the above criteria, we want to hear about your ideas for improving New York.
How do we evaluate applications?
We score applications based on a number of areas, including: Need, Relevance, Urgency, and Quality of Life Impact. For more details about our scoring criteria and what each of these areas means, you can reference our evaluation criteria at the bottom of this page. What is the timeline for applying for a Neighborhood Business Grant?
• • • Grants Open: May 5, 2025 Application Deadline: July 25, 2025 Grant Decisions Announced: September 2025
Applicants who are awarded grants through the first cycle are ineligible to apply again during the second cycle. Applicants for the first cycle who did not receive an award are welcome to submit an updated application for the second cycle. APPLY HERE
BUSINESS RESOURCES
2024 BUSINESS GRANTS & MORE
Pre-Seed and Seed Matching Fund Program
Program supports various industries including Tech, FinTech, Healthcare. Eligibility for companies with < $2M dilutive funding, focusing on expanding VC access in New York.
Preference for C-Corp structured companies with operations in NY. Companies must be registered in NY, in good standing, and secure matching funds.
Private capital raised in the same round can contribute to financing ratio. Investments in convertible debt or equity must match private capital terms.
NYC Department of Small Business Services offers a Customized Training Grant Program: Businesses select tailored training programs to address challenges.
SBS reimburses up to 60% of costs for various areas. Eligibility:
Grants range from $30,000 to $400,000.
NYC-based, operating for over a year, for-profit. Training involves a minimum of 10 employees. Costs paid upfront and reimbursed quarterly.
Employees can attend different sessions within a year.
Upon completion, businesses must offer wage increases. Businesses with <10 employees can apply as a consortium. Contact for details.
Risk Assessment and Grant Program (nyc.gov)
NYC offers a grant program providing up to $5,000 for resiliency measures like flood barriers. Eligibility includes being in a flood-risk area, operating for at least a year, revenue under $30 million, and no prior NYC SBS grants. All licenses and permits must be current for eligibility.
Funding Range: Up to $5,000
The Transformative Power of MWBE Certification
Workforce & Career Development
Basic Job Readiness Course for new and less experienced job seekers
Financial Management Course focused on banking and saving, credit, loan products
Vocational Skills Training - Cisco IT Essentials, Certified Customer Service Training, Microsoft Office Certification (self-paced)
Small Business Assistance
Business Workshop Series focused on business formation, accounting & finance, business management, taxation and marketing
Business Management Training - Queens Streetwise MBA Program
MWBE Certification Assistance
Business Networking
Youth Development
Job Readiness and Financial Literacy Training
Paid Summer and After-School Employment Programs
Youth Mentorship and Leadership Development
RDRC Youth Aviators Program
RDRC Youth Media Arts & Communications Program
College Placement Assistance, College Tour
IT Training/Coding
Neighborhood Preservation
HUD Certified First Time Homebuyer, Foreclosure and Credit
