$100 million available to support businesses affected by pandemic; information webinar March 13 OLYMPIA, WA – The Washington State Department of Commerce announced a new grant opportunity for businesses in the hospitality and lodging industry that suffered business losses due to the pandemic. The application portal opens on March 14 at wahospitalitygrants.com. An informational webinar is scheduled for Monday, March 13. To learn more and subscribe to email updates about…
Five new programs to be offered through the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) OLYMPIA, WA – Washington state has been awarded $163.4 million from the U.S. Treasury Department to operate five capital access programs for small businesses. The new funding will be used to launch an updated version of the state’s highly successful Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) program, which was completed in 2016. SSBCI leveraged an original $19.7…
More than half of the homes are needed for residents at the lowest income levels OLYMPIA, WA — The Washington State Department of Commerce today released its final housing needs projections, which show the state needs to add 1.1 million homes over the next 20 years, and more than half of them need to be affordable for residents at the lowest income levels. Based on census data and the Office…
OLYMPIA, WA – A delegation of Washington state companies and officials are participating in the AVALON Australian International Airshow and Aerospace & Defense Exposition in Australia, Feb. 28 – Mar. 5. The largest show of its kind in the southern hemisphere, AVALON attracts nearly 700 companies from around the world. The Washington delegation will be one of 161 official industry and government delegations from 30 countries. The six-day show attracts…
$250K grant solidifies development of new facility with potential for long-term local, regional economic impact OLYMPIA, WA — Lewis County could well become a symbol of Washington state’s robust and growing clean energy economy when zero-emission trucks the height of three-story buildings are seen rolling around the First Mode Proving Grounds later this year. First Mode, a global carbon reduction company that developed the world’s first integrated battery and hydrogen…
Grants provide relief to businesses in all 39 Washington counties OLYMPIA, WA – The Washington State Department of Commerce, in partnership with the Washington State Arts Commission (ArtsWA), has distributed $70 million in grants to 3,787 for-profit and nonprofit small businesses impacted by the pandemic. Funding provided through the Working Washington Grants: Round 5 and Convention Center Grant program is assisting businesses in all 39 Washington counties, including $42 million…
OLYMPIA, WA — Washington State Department of Commerce Director Lisa Brown announced today she will be stepping down, effective March 3. Appointed by Gov. Jay Inslee, Brown began serving the agency in February 2019. “Commerce has undergone enormous change in the last few years, and Lisa has been an exceptional leader throughout it all,” Gov. Jay Inslee said. “During COVID-19, Lisa deftly guided the agency to pivot quickly to administering unprecedented levels of…
Rural communities are focus of investments in nine new projects statewide OLYMPIA, WA — The Washington State Department of Commerce was awarded a $9 million grant last week from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that will provide new housing for people experiencing homelessness in Island, Klickitat, Mason, Skamania, Thurston, Whatcom and Yakima counties. Funds will be used over the next three years for a variety of…
State funds will leverage nearly $664 million in private and local investments in projects expected to create 242 family-wage jobs. OLYMPIA, WA – The Washington State Community Economic Revitalization Board (CERB) today approved $10 million in low interest loans and $75,000 in grants for economic development and public infrastructure improvements intended to spur business growth and job creation in communities throughout the state. Among the supported projects is a new…
Housing costs/rents, homelessness and overall cost of living top list of most important problems facing Washington state in new survey by Department of Commerce and Puget Sound Regional Council OLYMPIA, WA — Housing and homelessness topped a list of 12 issues in a new survey that asked Washington state residents to rank their top two problems facing the state. The Department of Commerce partnered with the Puget Sound Regional Council…