Schoharie Economic Enterprise Corp Announces Additional 500,000 in Grant Funding for Small Business Web, E-Commerce, and Digital Media Support

SCHOHARIE - The additional grant brings the total for this program to more than $1.2 million 

Schoharie County – The Schoharie Economic Enterprise Corp (SEEC) announces that Schoharie County received a third round of grant funding for small businesses. Awarded by the NYS Office of Homes & Community Renewal, up to $500,000 is available for businesses that wish to invest in their digital marketing and make their business more competitive and resilient. 

The grant funding is a part of the Schoharie County Digital Strategies Initiative, a resiliency-based, proven and data supported means to add value to local businesses. Modeled after national programs, SEEC launched this Direct to Business (D2B) effort in 2021 in response to the Coronavirus pandemic. D2B will increase small business access to professional technology services and improve use of digital tools for economic stability and growth. 

The program is in cooperation with Schoharie County government and is organized to make grant awards direct to businesses that will enable the hiring of digital strategists, content creators, and technicians as well as pay for COVID-related recovery expenses. To date, this program has assisted twenty-six small businesses in Schoharie County, resulting in broader customer reach to stabilize businesses and the creation of 8 new full-time equivalent jobs with the retention of more than 30 full-time equivalent positions. 

“Supporting our small businesses through investment has helped bounce-back from the pandemic, introduced a platform for economic growth, and enhanced our collective resilience for what lies ahead, “ SEEC Executive Director Julie Pacatte said. “We are thrilled to have the support of NYS and access to grant funds that will assist in digital marketing strategies and tools essential for our area needs.” 

The NYS Homes and Community Renewal funding has also assisted residents in the Village of Schoharie by installing free public WiFi along Main Street. This 3rdround of funding is expected to implement free public WiFi in the Village of Middleburgh. The broader Digital Strategies Initiatives aim to achieve 100% broadband access county-wide by 2027.

Grant awards will be determined based upon number of employees and scope of work for companies up to 25 employees. Additional criteria is available on the SEEC web site along with the simple application at https://seecny.org/digital-marketing/. The deadline for applications is March 29, 2024. Questions about the application can be directed to grants@seecny.org. SEEC will announce the grant awardees later this spring.