Centers of Excellence
The Pennsylvania Small Business Development was awarded a CARES Act funding grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration to help mitigate the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on small-business owners. Nine out of 16 centers prepared proposals to build capacity to provide specific services to all small businesses in Pennsylvania. Funding was set aside to award these proposed “Centers of Excellence” in special recognition for creative programming and collaboration to provide industry sector specific specialized programs and services to industries and core areas most severally impacted in the Commonwealth.
These nine centers created partnership initiatives to expand specific industry sector education, training and business advising to address the issues faced by small businesses as a result of the pandemic.