Grants Of Up To $50,000 Available For Black-Owned And Small Businesses Affected By Mass Shooting In East Buffalo

by Jeffrey McKinney March 30, 2024 Black businesses are among businesses that seek grants in East Buffalo, New York, from $5,000 to $50,000. Black-owned small businesses in East Buffalo, New York, affected by a mass shooting nearly two years ago, are eligible to apply for grants of up to $50,000. The Empire State Development (ESD) has announced that applications for Round 3 of the East Buffalo Small Business Working Capital Grant Program are available now through May 10. According to a news release, the $3 million program funded by ESD is offering grants from $5,000 to $50,000 to eligible small businesses in East Buffalo. It will be used to mainly to help minority-owned firms overcome the social, economic impact of the shooting at a Tops Friendly Market along Jefferson Avenue. The supermarket, located in a mostly Black neighborhood, re-opened in June 2022 after 10 people were killed there by a white supremacist the previous month. The backing is needed as gaining access to capital for Black entrepreneurs is an ongoing obstacle. For instance, support for Black-founded startups dropped in 2023 to under $1 billion to $705 million, per this report. That was the first such decline since 2016. The latest...