OLYMPIA, WA — El Washington State Department of Commerce (Departamento de Comercio del Estado de Washington) anunció un nuevo programa de subvenciones que se pondrá en marcha el 4 de octubre para ayudar a determinadas pequeñas empresas perjudicadas por el cierre de la frontera entre Estados Unidos y Canadá. La frontera ha permanecido cerrada a la mayoría de los viajeros desde marzo de 2020 debido a la pandemia de COVID-19.…
Author Archives: Penny Thomas
En Español OLYMPIA, WA — The Washington State Department of Commerce announced a new grant program that will launch Oct. 4 to help certain small businesses hurting due to the U.S.-Canada border closure. The border has been closed to most travelers since March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Working Washington Grants: Border Business Relief Program will focus on customer-facing businesses that have experienced hardship specifically as a result…
OLYMPIA, WA – The Washington State Community Economic Revitalization Board (CERB) yesterday approved $8,272,040 million in grants and $1,975,000 in low-interest loans for planning, economic development and rural broadband infrastructure construction projects. Five rural broadband projects were approved for nearly $8 million in funding from the CERB coronavirus capital projects fund, enabling an estimated 3,362 high-speed internet connections once completed. Projects are located in Grays Harbor, Kitsap, Mason, Skagit and…
Community Development Block Grants fund wide range of high-priority local projects, including public water, sewer, emergency and fire protection systems, streets, housing, food pantries and more. OLYMPIA, Wash. – The Washington State Department of Commerce today announced 20 rural cities, towns and counties will receive a total of more than $11.4 million in Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) for 2021. The 22 projects funded will: improve rural water, sewer, streets,…
Departing director Russ Elliott stewarded state office from start up to one of the nation’s leading efforts toward digital equity for rural communities OLYMPIA, WA — Washington Commerce Director Lisa Brown today announced that Dawn Eychaner will serve as acting director of the Washington State Broadband Office effective Sept. 30, when current director Russ Elliott leaves the position to serve as Chief Executive Officer of a California telecommunications carrier. Eychaner…
Five projects receive first phase of grants from state Rapid Capital Housing Acquisition program OLYMPIA, WA — The Washington State Department of Commerce today announced $39.1 million in grants to five projects that will help address the state’s homeless crisis by acquiring 307 housing units that will quickly be available to serve people with extremely low incomes or who are experiencing homelessness. Grant recipients are: City of Vancouver Housing Authority…
Nearly $760 million in sales attributed to State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) since inception OLYMPIA, WA – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has awarded the Washington State Department of Commerce a tenth year of funding to help small businesses grow through exporting. The $2 million grant is part of the SBA’s State Trade Expansion Program (STEP). Commerce will use the funds to continue a number of successful export assistance…
More than half a million Washingtonians are at risk of having electricity, natural gas or water services shut off OLYMPIA, WA — The emergency proclamation preventing shut-off of water, electricity or natural gas services is slated to end Sept. 30. It is among the many emergency measures enacted by Gov. Jay Inslee in the wake of COVID-19. State leaders and utility operators estimate more than 500,000 Washingtonians have overdue bills…
Grants fund electricity grid projects that will expand renewable energy use and support community resilience. OLYMPIA, WA – The Washington State Department of Commerce today announced approximately $3.9 million in grants from the state’s Clean Energy Fund for 18 electricity grid modernization projects across the state. As Washington’s utilities advance towards the state’s goal of 100% clean electricity by 2045, the projects will advance a variety of renewable energy technologies…
Washington’s Child Care Collaborative Task Force releases strategy that builds on historic Fair Start for Kids Act investments, calls for focus on growing the child care workforce. OLYMPIA, WA – Washington state’s Child Care Collaborative Task Force released a comprehensive new strategy that emphasizes the urgency of bolstering the child care workforce amidst a staggering turnover rate of 43 percent. The new Washington State Child Care Access Strategy makes clear…