RBRC 5212025 by Rockaway Development & Revitalization Corporation

SOUTHEAST QUEENS BUSINESS INCUBATOR GRADUATES 12 MORE BUSINESSES!

On Wednesday, May 21st the Southeast Queens Business Incubator (SEQBI) held its second Graduation Ceremony at the Regency Hyatt JFK at Resorts World New York City. Established in the Fall of 2024, SEQBI is designed to assist locally, minority-owned businesses grow through an intensive eight-week program focused on management operations, finance and accounting, branding, and marketing. Business owners (‘aka’ Fellows) are required to demonstrate the tools learning by presenting their growth plans as a part of a SEQBI Pitch Competition. Finalists of the Competition will receive a total of $12,000 in cash prizes to be used to implement elements of their respective growth plans (continued page 3).

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SEQBI GRADUATES 12 MORE.... (continued)

“We are ecstatic about the impact SEQBI is having on our Fellows To witness their growth as they integrate the skills they have learned, and tools acquired into practice is priceless. This is what fuels our commitment to identify and advocate for new business oppor tunities for our Fellows” stated Kevin Alexander, President & CEO.

Funded by Resor ts World New York City, the Southeast Queens Business Incubator is a professionally developed program in par tnership with New York State Senator James Sanders, Jr., Modern Community Capital, and New York State Small Business Development Centers (NYS SBDCs). In addition to the eight-week course, Fellows are paired with advisors from NYS SBDCs, par ticipate in weekly SEQBI “café hours” to discuss challenges and their growth plans with their peers, receive a free, three-month membership to LivePlan, an industry recognized on-line business and financial tool.

L to r: Kevin Alexander, Robert Alleyne and Kenneth Holley, Alleyne Consulting Co

L to r: Brian Yeung, Kimberly Isaac, Crystal Pugh (Cyber Protections CS, Renee McWiliams, Demond Wilkerson, Keith Nelson, Lisa George, Dr Lola Ojomu-Kayoes

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE SEQBI SPRING 2025 FELLOWS!

Ade Adeeko Ages Rock & Associates

Robert Alleyne

Alleyne Consulting Company

Kenneth Holley, MBA

Alleyne Consulting Company

Shaleem Bush BeingEgypt, LLC

Crystal Pugh Cyber Protections CS

LJ Finney IN-18, LLC

Jyoti Jaiswal

Kush Oasis Enterprises, LLC

Stephanie Berwick Pastazerts

Rami Ali Presto Transport

Dr. Alison Edinboro Rockaway Queen Health Solutions

Jayla Davis The Honeypot Products

Tamaree Kepple TZahana Bloom Essentials

Davion Bennett Tulson Cleaning Services

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:

BUSINESS RESOURCES

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 Skip,

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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

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

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.

Amazon Black Business Accelerator Grant

Eligibility Criteria:

Must be a U.S.-based Amazon Professional seller

Business must sell products on Amazon.com (U.S.) and be part of Amazon’s Certification Program

Must have at least one valid Certification uploaded to Seller Central Grant benefits currently apply to sellers with a valid minority-owned business registration or certification from one of the following organizations:

The National Minority Supplier Development Council

U.S. System for Award Management

U.S. Small Business Administration

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