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Last week's Berkeleyside article, “Ditch your supply chain woes — come meet 25 local merchants this holiday season” highlights a few of the makers, bakers, and artists who will be participating in Thursday's (Dec. 9) Berkeley Holiday Gift Fair. The story is part of the City of Berkeley’s #DiscoveredinBerkeley campaign which spotlights local businesses enriching our community and building a better world.
Read Berkeleyside's article about Scenic Made, Uncommon Grounds, & Polymer Garden's Arbel Shemesh (whose jewelry is displayed at ACCI Gallery) on the DiscoveredinBerkeley website and follow @DiscoveredinBerkeley on Instagram to see more about innovative Berkeley businesses.
Participate in the Berkeley Bucks eGift Card, powered by Yiftee! to increase sales opportunities for your business and keep dollars in our community. People will purchase the gift cards online and then email, text or print them for use in local shops, restaurants, etc. Any business that accepts Mastercard can join in to redeem the Berkeley Bucks eGift Card, at no cost to the merchant.
This program is led by Visit Berkeley, in partnership with the Berkeley Chamber, Downtown Berkeley Association, City of Berkeley Office of Economic Development, and other business districts citywide.
To learn more about the program and how to join, contact Jeffrey Church at Visit Berkeley.
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The Berkeley Arts Recovery Grants (BARG) for Organizations & Festivals are funded through a one-time allocation by Berkeley City Council of American Rescue Plan Act dollars to support the recovery of Berkeley’s arts sector. This fund will provide one-time grants available to Berkeley-based nonprofit and fiscally sponsored arts organizations and festivals. Funding may be used to mitigate an arts organization’s economic loss from COVID-19, implement COVID-19 prevention tactics, and procure consulting and marketing services to bolster the organization financially for future sustainability. Grant awards will range from $3,000 to $33,000.
Learn more and apply for BARG for Organizations & Festivals by December 9, 2021 by 5 PM.
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If you are a business in Berkeley that has suffered damage (graffiti, etching, broken glass etc.), you can apply for reimbursement from the Berkeley Business Damage Mitigation Fund. The Downtown Berkeley Association (DBA) is managing this grant program for the City; grant applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until funds are exhausted and the maximum grant amount available per year to any small business located in the City of Berkeley is $2,500.
See more details here. To apply, submit your request to damage@downtownberkeley.com.
Know a local manufacturer who could use intensive advising and technical assistance?
The California Manufacturers Accelerator Plus (CMA+) program is a FREE growth and profitability program designed to help Bay Area small and medium sized manufacturers.
The CMA+ program is perfect for manufacturers who have:
- At least one production facility in the region,
- Three to 20 employees and revenue from $500K - $20M,
- The potential to add jobs and grow revenue, and
- A commitment to growing and hiring in the Bay Area.
Apply now.
East Bay Community Energy, Alameda County’s public power provider, is pleased to announce a partnership with the California Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Project (CALeVIP). Businesses, commercial properties, multifamily housing properties, and public agency facilities in Alameda County can apply for rebates up to $80,000 on eligible electric vehicle (EV) charger equipment and installation costs.
If you are new to EV charging, CALeVIP has created a list of service providers to assist with developing an EV charging project for your site. Access that list at calevip.org/find-an-evsp.
Rebates are expected to go quickly, to learn more about eligibility requirements and how to apply for your rebate, visit the Alameda County Incentive Project website.
Effective January 1, 2022, a new statewide law (SB 1383) will require everyone in the State of California to have compost and recycling service and properly sort their waste into the appropriate containers to reduce organics and recyclables sent to the landfill. Certain large food generating businesses will also be required to donate edible food.
Learn more here and apply here for free indoor compost bins (up to $500 value). Contact Customer Service at 510-981-7270 to set up organics or recycling service.
With on-site dining back in full swing, so are reusables! By switching to reusables, business can reduce waste and litter, save money on the purchase and disposal costs of single-use foodware, and improve customer satisfaction. Zero Waste Specialists are visiting businesses to provide new educational brochures, outreach material, and onsite technical assistance.
Find additional information and resources here.
BayREN Business provide rebates, financing, and one-stop-shop technical assistance to ensure small and medium businesses can leverage all available energy saving programs. BayREN Business provides turnkey installation of LED lighting, smart thermostats, HVAC controls/monitors, and a building management system, making it possible to lower your operating costs up to 25%. Plus, eligible businesses can receive the service at more than 50% off if they enroll this year.
View additional details at bayren.org/business or click here for a free energy assessment.
In case you missed it...
 Last month's #DiscoveredinBerkeley article in Berkeleyside shared how Berkeley-headquartered UPSIDE Foods is making cultivated meat that's better for the environment, public health, and animal welfare -- and creating jobs throughout the East Bay.
Read Berkeleyside's article about how UPSIDE Foods has moved from R&D to scaled production on the DiscoveredinBerkeley website and follow @DiscoveredinBerkeley on Instagram to see more about innovative Berkeley businesses.
You can receive Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) event notifications for any address that is important to you or your business even if you aren’t the PG&E account holder.
Sign up now to stay informed about your suppliers, vendors, business facilities or rental units.
Congrats to the 2021 East Bay Innovation Award winners from Berkeley! Selected by subject matter experts among more than 200 East Bay companies, the following winners were judged, by category, on their innovation, product development, services and processes:
- Food: UPSIDE Foods (growing sustainable cultured meat)
- Advanced Manufacturing: ARRIS Composites (manufacturing smarter, lighter, stronger, and more sustainable materials)
- Education: Girls Garage (providing a design/build space for girls).
We also congratulate the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory for winning the 2021 Legacy Award and commend Geopogo and Community Resources for Science for being runners-up in the Built Environment and Education categories, respectively.
If you missed it, watch the recording any time on YouTube.
Manufacturing Week 2021 - Berkeley tours
Last month, Ricardo Nunez, the Director of Economic Democracy at the Sustainable Economies Law Center (SELC), and Kieron Slaughter, OED's Chief Community Development Officer, held a webinar for entrepreneurs and business owners interested in worker cooperatives. OED and SELC answered questions regarding the principles and practices of democratic governance and management for worker cooperatives and worker self-directed nonprofits.
Watch the 30-minute video.
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In response to City Council's referral, the Planning Commission recommended amending the City of Berkeley's definition of Research & Development (R&D) for zoning purposes. City Council will be asked to approve the updated definition in 2022.
Learn more about R&D activities in Berkeley from OED's June 2 presentation to the Planning Commission, see the Oct. 6 Public Hearing meeting minutes (especially p.3 for the recommended definition), and check the Planning Commission website to learn when the definition will be on the Council agenda.
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