Your Link to Opportunities and Information - Volume 7
PI>OTWEEK is Underway!
PI>OTWEEK is the very first free virtual summit about how to PIVOT. This premiere summit, presented by EMSDC and SRMSDC, features groundbreaking conversations with business leaders from around the country. Just one day left to PI>OT, Friday, May 1, 2020! To join us, visit  Pivotweek.org  for more information and registration. 
Participate in Virtual Matchmaking
Our “Virtual Matchmaker” is up and running and connects buyers to entrepreneurs with sourcing solutions. Please click the appropriate below link and answer a few brief questions to begin the matchmaking process. An EMSDC representative will contact you with potential matches and additional instructions. MBEs, if there are products that you need we encourage you to also complete the buyer registration.

Supplier (MBE) Registration:

Buyer (Corporations and other buying entities) Registration: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/COVID-19MMBuyers

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Critical Medical Supplies Procurement Portal
Pennsylvania needs critical medical supplies. To fulfill this need, the departments of Community and Economic Development, Health, General Services, and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency have developed the  Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Critical Medical Supplies Procurement Portal  (the “Portal”) to source the most needed medical supplies. The Portal is for manufacturers, distributors and other suppliers to inform us of supplies available for purchase and will allow the Commonwealth to more quickly and efficiently procure these supplies for hospitals and medical facilities across Pennsylvania. Read more.

Current Bids
COVID-19 Antibody Test Kits and Hand Sanitizer
Please contact boffley@duqlight.com

Hand Sanitizer, Surface Sanitizing Wipes, Disposable Gloves

BITTENBENDER CONSTRUCTION
April 30, 2020

City of Harrisburg
April 30, 2020

Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) and Allegheny County Airport
May 1, 2020

May 4, 2020

Community College of Allegheny County & Mascaro Construction
May 6, 2020

Peoples Gas Allegheny County District Energy County Jail Boiler Plant
Mascaro Construction Company
May 8, 2020

Philadelphia Housing Authority
May 8, 2020

Allegheny County Airport Authority
May 13, 2020

DRPA and PATCO 
May 13, 2020

BITTENBENDER CONSTRUCTION
May 13, 2020

Community College of Allegheny County
May 13, 2020

Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority
May 21, 2020
SBA Updates on PPP and EIDL

Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) - New funding has been made available by Congress for the PPP, which provides relief to small businesses, independent contractors, eligible self-employed individuals, and nonprofits. The SBA resumed accepting PPP applications from participating lenders on Monday, April 27. Go here for a list of approved lenders to apply for PPP and Read more .

Questions regarding the status of your PPP application can be submitted to your lender directly. If you have submitted an application call SBA's 24/7 Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 to check the status of your loan number. Click here to sign up to receive email updates from the SBA.

Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) - With the additional funding provided by the new COVID-19 relief package, SBA will resume processing EIDL Loan and advance applications that are already in the queue on a first come, first-served basis. SBA will provide further information on the availability of the EIDL portal to receive new applications (including those from agricultural enterprises) as soon as possible . Read more .

Goldman Sachs
In partnership with Lendistry, a community development financial institution (CDFI), Goldman Sachs has dedicated $10 million in Paycheck Protection Program loans to help Philadelphia small businesses that may not have relationships with traditional lenders.  Apply to Lendistry here .  

New Voices Fund
New Voices provides capital for start-ups, established businesses and community-based enterprises led by women of color entrepreneurs. We work with businesses as early as Seed round to and through Series C funding. Read more.

Wolf Administration: New Funding Available for Technology-Based Companies
Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary Dennis Davin announced that new funding is available to help technology-based companies impacted by the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. Read more.
Target Helps you Accelerate in your Entrepreneurial Journey
Part accelerator. Part boot camp. This consumer product startup accelerator is designed to help you build the knowledge and connections to take your brand to the next level and learn how to scale to mass retail. Read more.

Revise Policies to Facilitate Return to Work
Before employees start returning to work onsite, employers need to define the new normal by creating or revising policies to address a range of critical workplace issues, including employee relations and benefits. Read more.

Free Courses to Help Laid Off Workers Build New Skills During the COVID-19 Pandemic
The KnowledgeCity team has been working hard to curate a selection of courses for those who are looking to re-enter the workforce amidst the disruption caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic. These courses will be completely free of charge and available at any time for those who need them. No log-in access, membership or payment is required to access these courses. Read more.

Get Online Grow Online (GOGO) Small Business Program 
Learn how to market and sell your products and services online with up to 5 hours of free technical assistance while connecting with similar businesses! The deadline to apply is May 5. Read more.
Professional Digital Media Production Service Provider  
IiNTVNETWORK, LLC Professional Digital Media Production Service Provider that has made virtual connections seamless through their Video Productions (Live Streaming, UHD 4k corporate videos, pre-construction videos, commercials, and live multi-camera productions, video editing, closed captions, DVD Authoring services.) Feel Free to contact them if you want to take advantage of the pause and pivot your business through upgrades through their Graphic Designs (logos, television motion graphics, and artwork for print such as brochures, business cards, DVD packaging and flyers.) Photography on location photography, documentary style photography, social events, concerts, and corporate.
Federal
  • IRS Economic Impact Payment Information Center - Millions of Americans have already received their Economic Impact Payments (Payments) authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). The Internal Revenue Services (IRS) continues to calculate and automatically send the Payments to most eligible individuals, however, some may have to provide additional information to the IRS to get their Payments. Read more to get answers to frequently asked questions related to these Payments. These questions and answers will be updated periodically.

Pennsylvania
  • COVID-19 Legislative Updates: Roundup of Federal, State, and Local Actions. Read more.
  • Governor Tom Wolf announces May 1 Reopening of limited outdoor recreational activities. To ensure that Pennsylvanians have opportunities to safely enjoy outdoor recreation as a way to maintain positive physical and mental health, and in keeping with the Commonwealth's stay-at-home orders to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, Governor Wolf announced that the Wolf Administration is lifting some restrictions on businesses related to certain outdoor activities. Read more.
  • Pennsylvania plans to proceed with returning to work cautiously. Broad reopening or re-openings that are not structured around ongoing social distancing, universal distancing, universal masking, or other public health guidance would likely result in a spike of cases and new stay-at-home and closure orders. Gov. Wolf unveils a 3-phased, color-coded reopening plan by region. Read more.

Delaware
  • Governor John Carey - The Delaware Prosperity Partnership and the Division of Small Business will partner with members of the General Assembly and local Chambers of Commerce to engage the business community and local leaders in planning around safely reopening Delaware's economy. Delaware will work with surrounding states to share intelligence and make decisions deliberately, based on the science and the situation on the ground. Read more.
  • Governor John Carney on Tuesday declared Sussex County a hot-spot for COVID-19 in Delaware and announced the initial schedule for the State of Delaware's Coordination and Care community testing sites. Testing and outreach will occur in several Sussex communities that are the center of Delaware's COVID-19 epidemic. Governor Carney first announced the community testing and outreach partnership among the state, hospital systems, and others last week, with an initial focus on Sussex County. Read more.


New Jersey
  • Governor Phil Murphy signed Executive Order No 133, reopening state parks and golf courses, and restoring the authority of county governments to determine whether county parks will be open or closed. The order takes effect at sunrise on Saturday, May 2. Read more.
  • Governor Phil Murphy announced his vision, "The Road Back: Restoring Economic Health Through Public Health," to restart New Jersey and put the state on the road to recovery. Governor Murphy outlined six key principles and benchmarks to guide the process for restoring New Jersey's economic health by ensuring public health. Read more.
Walmart and Nextdoor Launch New ‘Neighbors Helping Neighbors’ Program
Through this new program, a first for both companies, Nextdoor members in cities across the country can now request assistance – or offer to help someone in their community – with shopping for their essential items at Walmart. This support network makes it easier for vulnerable community members to coordinate the pickup and delivery of their groceries, medications and other essentials with a neighbor who is already planning a shopping trip to their local Walmart store – completely contact-free. Read more.
Accept the Challenge! Shop & Order from Local Businesses
Help support your favorite local food and drink businesses and retailers, specifically ethnic or minority-owned, by ordering takeout, buying gift cards, and/or shopping online.  Here's the challenge: Beginning Monday, May 4, visit us at www.emsdc.org , select businesses listed in our 1% Shift Challenge section and commit to making the #ShiftwithEMSDC! by spending with them. Let us know you made the shift by shouting out the company on social media using the #ShiftwithEMSDC and get a discount on a future EMSDC program or event in 2020. If you spend with businesses, specifically ethnic and minority businesses, not on our list, let us know on social and we’ll add them to the list. And, be sure to follow us on social media. Together we’ll reinforce our local economies!
Digital and Remote learning begins May 4th
Digital Learning and Planned Instruction Starts Monday, May 4 th  for  School District of Philadelphia   students and many others. Remote learning and Continuity of Education Plan began on April 22 nd  for  Pittsburgh Public Schools .  Please check your local district for more information.

Read-Along with Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama  hosts an 4 week online series in which she reads children’s books out loud every Monday.  Mondays With Michelle Obama , in partnership with Penguin Young Readers, Random House Children’s Books and PBS Kids, will kick off on April 20th and conclude on May 11th.
We have created a new Microsoft Yammer page, EMSDC MBE Connects. This is a private group where EMSDC Corporate Members, MBEs, and Subscribers can connect with each other, post information, and view posts from EMSDC.

 Click here to log in . If you have any questions about accessing Yammer or if you did not receive your invitation to join please email Tricina Cash on our team at tcash@emsdc.org and she will be able to assist you.
Certification and Re-certification Update
The process for certification and recertification remains unchanged. Due to the current interruption of business as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, submission of Notarized affidavits  is temporarily waived. Affidavits will be requested at a later date and must be submitted within 30-days of request. EMSDC is working daily to ensure continuity of services for the businesses in the Council. If there are any questions, please contact us:  jfleishner@emsdc.org  or  dhurst-rodney@emsdc.org.
New Virtual Office Hours
EMSDC is proactively taking COVID-19 precautions and is therefore working virtually until further notice. Please contact us via email or phone at 215-569-1005 or 412-391-4423, to leave a voicemail. We will get back to you by the close of business.


Beginning the week of May 4 th , EMSDC will implement “Virtual Office Hours.” MBEs can make appointments with any member of the team during these set hours for assistance and information. Please email a calendar invitation to secure your time.

Reminder to take COVID-19 Impact Survey
Thank you to the over 150 business owners that completed our survey. If you didn't there's still time to participate in our survey to understand the nature of the COVID-19 impact as told by the actual business owners themselves. Read more.