Working Washington Grants: Round 4 application open now

Over the last year, Washington state has provided small businesses throughout the state with more than $125 million in grants to address the economic outfall of COVID-19. This effort continues with a new round of grant opportunities being managed by the Washington State Department of Commerce. The state Legislature approved $240 million for this latest round, making it our largest so far.

Working Washington Grants Round 4 offers grant relief funds to small for-profit businesses, especially those that were required to close due to public health and safety measures. Priorities for funding are:

• Businesses required to close.
• Businesses with lost revenue as a result of closure.
• Businesses with added expenses to maintain safe operations.
• Equitable distribution of grant funds across the state and to businesses owned and operated by historically disadvantaged individuals.

The application portal is open now through 5 p.m. April 9 at www.commercegrants.com. Materials are available in 16 languages.

Need help?

Our technical support center provides assistance in navigating the application portal. The English-only support center is open 7 days a week now through April 9 at (855) 602-2722 or by emailing commercegrants@submittable.com

Phone support is available in seven different languages (Spanish, Mandarin, Vietnamese, Russian, Amharic, Arabic and Tagalog) at (206) 333-0720.

In addition, Commerce's Small Business Resiliency Network has expanded to 31 trusted messenger community organizations providing translation and individual assistance to in 40 languages to business owners in historically underserved communities. You can find contact information in our online directory.

Commerce launches new Office of Firearm Safety and Violence Prevention

Shalisa Hayes is a mother with a mission. In August 2011, she experienced the deepest pain a mother could feel — the loss of her young son who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Billy Ray Shirley III was 17 years old. He was shot and killed leaving a party in Tacoma, WA. For Hayes, this wasn’t her first brush with gun violence. She had lost her father to homicide when she was a young girl. The grief from such loss can be paralyzing, but Hayes has spent the last decade in motion. Hayes led the charge for a new community center in Tacoma’s eastside neighborhood and has become a leading voice for stopping gun violence in communities often overlooked by the media and policy-makers. “For too many years, communities of color have seen a lackluster reaction to gun violence, as opposed to one rooted in prevention,” Hayes said. “As someone who’s been directly impacted by gun violence on multiple occasions, and who has worked to help reduce it, we need to supply our communities with the resources necessary to help shift an ongoing harmful and deadly trend.” The newly-created Office of Firearm Safety and Violence Prevention at the Department of Commerce will lead a statewide effort to coordinate evidence-based intervention and prevention strategies to address community gun violence.  Read the full story on Commerce’s Medium site.

OPINION: How the coronavirus changed Washington state’s economy

It seems so long ago and yet just like yesterday when countries around the world began initiating shutdowns in response to a deadly virus we knew almost nothing about. Companies shifted millions of employees to telework. Schools closed. Offices and storefronts were shuttered. In-person events were canceled. For a while we wondered if these changes would be temporary. They were not. One year later, in this historic economic downturn, we’re seeing how industries and communities face vastly different impacts from the pandemic.  The Washington State Department of Commerce’s economic recovery dashboard shows several interesting trends in the state. Read my full op-ed published in Crosscut.

Washington’s leaders focus on opening up international trade opportunities for small businesses

Commerce now has in-country representation in 10 countries helping our state’s small businesses grow through exporting and international business partnerships

The math speaks for itself. Export opportunities are a winning opportunity for Washington businesses.

· Jobs: At least one in four jobs in Washington state is connected to exports. The state’s economy is more closely aligned with international trade than any other state.

· Markets: More than 80% of the world’s purchasing power is outside the United States, making exporting a consistent source of growth and opportunity for businesses of all sizes. Currently, fewer than 1% of U.S. companies engage in export.

· Profits: It’s estimated that companies that export are 17% more profitable than those that don’t.

· Resiliency: Exports and international business development have been an important factor in our state’s resilience, helping many businesses ride out the last several recessions.

Read the full story on our Medium site.

OPINION: We must restore voting rights for formerly incarcerated people

by Christopher Poulos Executive Director of the Statewide Reentry Council at Commerce

During Barack Obama’s election night in 2008, I was incarcerated in a federal prison, watching the results in the TV room of my unit. I remember the reactions of the African American men in the room, one of whom had marched with Dr. King during the civil rights movement. Tears streamed down his face as we collectively witnessed a pivotal moment in U.S. history. That night was one of the most powerful experiences of my life. Today, I am the executive director of the Statewide Reentry Council, where I work to improve public safety and outcomes for people returning to their communities from the criminal legal system. I have seen through my work and my own experience how the right to vote can be life changing for formerly incarcerated people. Unfortunately, thousands of people living in our communities in Washington state are still denied a voice in our democracy. House Bill 1078 could change this. (UPDATE: HB 1078 passed the Washington State Senate and will soon be signed by Gov. Inslee.) Read all of Chris Poulos' guest opinion in Crossscut.

Can we land the world’s largest firefighting airtanker here in WA?

About Commerce

Commerce works with local governments, businesses, community-based organizations and tribes to strengthen communities. The department’s diverse portfolio of more than 100 programs and effective public and private partnerships promote sustainable community and economic development to help all Washingtonians thrive. For more information, visit http://www.commerce.wa.gov. For information on locating or expanding a business in Washington, visit choosewashingtonstate.com.

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