Message from the Director

Business Incentives in a Pandemic  As we meet the many challenges faced from the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses throughout our country, state and region have had to reinvent themselves and in some cases, make difficult decisions. Through the efforts of our federal, state and local government partners, we have provided and promoted several opportunities that were part of the pandemic response efforts. Please take a look at some of these efforts that appear on our Mercer County Economic Development COVID-19 Business Resources .  Through our recent partnership with the UCEDC, the Mercer County Business Lending program has assisted businesses in Mercer and placed them on a road to recovery. Offering low-interest loans, the program, since its inception six months ago, has witnessed nearly $200,000 in total loans. Please feel free to contact our office if you need any assistance with these opportunities.  -- Anthony P. Carabelli Jr., Director, Office of Economic Development

Business and Mayoral Virtual Update

The County of Mercer, in partnership with the Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber and Board of Chosen Freeholders, is pleased to announce the 2020 Mercer County Business and Mayoral Update. This virtual event, scheduled on Oct. 6 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., provides an opportunity for attendees to learn about some of the leading Mercer County projects under construction or that have recently undergone an expansion. You will also hear from our government leaders as they discuss the local response during this uncharted time period. Specifically, the 2020 Mercer County Update will feature an introduction from County Executive Brian M. Hughes and will provide attendees with an overview of the major projects driving County growth. The projects will include the Ewing Town Center, Princeton University Expansion Project and Hibbert Group Expansion Project. The individuals reporting on these projects are the following: • Charles Latini, L&G Planning • Ron McCoy, Princeton University • Tim Moonan, The Hibbert Group In addition to the important development information, mayors from six of our municipalities will share valuable information on the local economy as they continue to actively promote economic development programs. Tickets are $25 (members) and $35 (future members). Please direct all inquiries to Warrie Howell, Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber, Director of Events, at 609-924-1776, ext. 100 or warrie@princetonmercer.org. Further information about the event can be found at www.princetonmercerchamber.org.

Office Program Spotlight: Mercer County Housing and Community Development Office - LIHEAP 

As we enter the colder months on our calendar, our Housing and Community Development Office is ready to serve the community through its Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). The County of Mercer began accepting applications for LIHEAP for the 2020-21 season on Oct. 1. Mercer County will continue accepting applications for the Universal Service Fund (USF) Program throughout the year. Residents who pay their own heating costs, and meet the income guidelines below, may be eligible to receive financial assistance with their winter heating bill. Residents with medical conditions may also be eligible to receive cooling assistance.

MONTHLY INCOME GUIDELINES

*  Federal income limits are subject to change during the program year.  Please call for incomes above 8 persons.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, at this time the public will only be able to enter the County Administration Building  at 640 South Broad St. on an as-needed basis by appointment only.  If an in-person appointment is necessary, clients can call 609-337-0933 or email heatingappt@mercercounty.org to schedule an appointment. 

The County is temporarily operating an outdoor informational center adjacent to the 640 South Broad St. building. Clients will be able to drop off applications and access information from LIHEAP staff. 

The County will continue to receive applications up until the deadline of July 31, 2021 by regular mail, fax and email. Applications, forms and information can be accessed at this site:  http://www.mercercounty.org/departments/housing-community-development/housing-and-community-development-programs

Applications can be sent by regular mail, fax and email:

Mercer County LIHEAP/USF Programs
640 S. Broad St., Room 106
P.O. Box 8068
Trenton, NJ 08650-0068
email address: housing@mercercounty.org
Fax: 609-278-2758

If you or someone you know qualifies for this assistance, please contact us to schedule an appointment at 609-377-0933 or heatingappt@mercercounty.org.

State Grants Announced for Manufacturers and Businesses Seeking E-Commerce Assistance

NJSTEP GRANT

The New Jersey Department of State’s Business Action Center announced in September that it has been awarded $1 million in federal funds from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) through the State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) for a program that supports small-business owners looking to export goods.

The New Jersey STEP (NJSTEP) program has been awarded funding for eight consecutive years. This year’s funding is the largest in the program’s history, ranking the amount as the second highest awarded to any state.

Consistent with previous years, 100 percent of the NJSTEP program funds will be awarded to eligible small businesses to help offset costs related to participation in foreign trade missions, international trade shows and exhibitions and services provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Commercial Service. Other activities that qualify include foreign language translation for websites, marketing materials and export training workshops. Grants are awarded to eligible companies on a first-come, first-served competitive basis.

The NJSTEP is administered by the New Jersey Business Action Center’s (NJBAC) Office of Export Promotion, both housed within the New Jersey Department of State. To apply for the NJSTEP program, visit the organization’s website at https://www.nj.gov/state/bac/bac-njstep.shtml or call 1‑800‑JERSEY‑7.

E-Commerce Technical Assistance Program

The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) launched a pilot E-Commerce Technical Assistance Program, which helps New Jersey restaurants, retail stores, and personal care businesses continue to operate safely during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Authority has engaged the services of Hudson Integrated, Positive Solutions, and Suasion Communications Group to assist businesses that normally rely on foot traffic and in-person transactions identify and implement the website and e-commerce capabilities they need to stay in business while complying with current health guidelines and changing customer preferences. Businesses in need of assistance can sign up for the program at: https://forms.business.nj.gov/covid-recovery-e-commerce/.

The E-commerce Technical Assistance Program will provide a variety of services for businesses including:

• designing and implementing electronic systems for placing orders;
• processing payments; and
• booking appointments to train business owners and staff to effectively use these new tools.

The providers are committed to making a good faith effort to ensure one-third of the clients they serve are located within approved Opportunity Zone-eligible census tracts and to focus on serving small, women-, minority-, veteran- and disabled veteran-owned businesses. A map showing the targeted census tracts is available here.

Eligibility

During the pilot phase, the E-commerce Technical Assistance Program is open only to:

• Restaurants
• Retail stores
• Personal care businesses that are registered and have a physical storefront in the State of New Jersey.

Interested business owners should sign up via the intake form or contact ecommerceta@njeda.com.

Other Business Grants and Loans  Through the work of our local SBDC partners, we are pleased to provide a listing of competitive grants and loans that may be available for your business.   The information that is provided in the attached list features both national and/or regional grants.  It also identifies loans in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Contact information is provided for each incentive along with a link to the appropriate program. 2020 Grant and Loan Database

County Economic Development Activity 

Trenton Renewables - Trenton Renewables held a press conference on Sept. 17 launching its food waste recycling and renewable energy company.

Located in Trenton, the company has partnered with cities and businesses of all sizes to recycle food waste into premium compost, organic fertilizer and renewable biogas. The compost and fertilizer are sent to local farms and the biogas is used on site to produce electricity that powers the facility and contributes renewable energy to the grid when it’s needed most.

Each year, the facility has the capacity to save 110,000 tons of organic material from being trapped in landfills or burned. This material is recycled into 27,000 MWh of renewable energy and 23,000 tons of organic compost, all while reducing carbon emissions as much as having 32,000 fewer cars on the road. Packaging, such as glass, metal and plastic, is automatically recaptured and recycled. At full capacity, Trenton Renewables saves its partners over $5 million per year in lower tipping fees, saved time and conserved fuel.

Trenton Renewables' flagship facility, Trenton Biogas, began operations in 2019 and uses a novel combination of proven and state-of-the-art technologies to make anaerobic digestion more cost-effective, sustainable, and flexible than ever before.

20 Nassau Street - The existing building, located at 20 Nassau St. in Princeton, is currently looking at a reuse of its current office space. The construction will include the preservation and restoration of the five-story above-grade portion of the building; the lower segments of the building will be demolished and replaced with a new five-story hotel with 191 guestrooms and on-site parking with 80 spaces. The Nassau Street frontage will continue to house more than 6,000 square feet of local retail/stores on the first floor.

Kuo Social - Kuo Social, a new restaurant & lounge, opened its doors recently.  Located in the Washington Town Center in Robbinsville, the menu features fanciful interpretations of modern Chinese dishes in addition to a spectacular cocktail menu.

Novitium Pharma - Novitium Pharma, a pharmaceutical company located at 70 Lake Drive in the vicinity of East Windsor Turnpike Exit 8, held a groundbreaking in September for a major expansion.

The expansion will add 17,760 square feet to the existing 35,963-square-foot facility, and is expected to add up to 10 new jobs to the current 60-person workforce. The expansion will accommodate the installation of innovative pharmaceutical testing equipment to allow for the development of new medications and products, in addition to their current generic pharmaceutical research, manufacturing and distribution operations.

Office of Economic Development * (609) 989-6555 * www.mercercounty.org