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Attention small businesses in King County: Comcast RISE is supporting the growth of small businesses and entrepreneurs committed to uplifting their local communities. The program is built to help businesses and their communities thrive with a focus on economic growth. To date, Comcast RISE has awarded 14,000 small businesses with over $140 million in monetary, marketing, and technology grants.
This year, Comcast RISE will award 500 recipients in five regions including King County, with a grant package that includes business consultation services, educational resources, a monetary grant, creative production, a media schedule, and a technology makeover.
Comcast RISE is part of Project UP, Comcast’s comprehensive initiative to advance digital opportunity and help build a future of unlimited possibilities.
Program Details:
Each recipient business will receive:
- $5,000 monetary grant
- Creative production, media, and technology makeovers
- Education resources
- Business consultation services
Application deadline is May 31, 2025. Grants will be awarded in August 2025.
Applications will be available online at www.ComcastRISE.com
To be eligible, businesses must:
- Be established for 2 or more years
- Have 100 or fewer full-time or part-time employees
- Independently owned and operated
- Be located in King County
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Cannabis Social Equity Program Registration Window: June 2 to July 1, 2025
The Liquor and Cannabis Board is excited to announce that the registration window for the Cannabis Social Equity Program will be opening June 2, 2025, through July 1, 2025. This window will be open for 30 calendar days.
Registration will be done through LCB’s online Portal, and only cannabis retail licenses are available through the program at this time. The Cannabis Social Equity Program is intended to identify those most impacted by the War on Drugs and promote access to the legal cannabis market in Washington.
To qualify for the Social Equity program, an applicant must have at least 51 percent ownership by one or more individuals who meet at least two of the following qualifications:
- Lived in a disproportionately impacted area in Washington state for a minimum of five years between 1980 and 2010;
- Has been arrested or convicted of a cannabis offense or has a family member who has been arrested or convicted of a cannabis offense;
- Had a household income that was less than the median household income within the state of Washington as calculated by the United States census bureau; or
- Is both a socially and economically disadvantaged individual as defined by the office of minority and women's business enterprises under chapter 39.19 RCW.
Qualifying for the Social Equity program also requires a high score and does not guarantee you will receive a cannabis retail license. The Social Equity section of LCB’s website provides the most up to date information on the program.
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The Office of Minority and Women's Business Enterprises (OMWBE) offers both State and Federal certification for socially and economically disadvantaged businesses.
State Certification
U.S. Citizenship or permanent residency is not required for OMWBE State Certification. Small business owners must be socially and economically disadvantaged to qualify for this program. This applies to all state certifications.
- MBE - Minority Business Enterprise
- MWBE - Minority Women's Business Enterprise
- WBE - Women's Business Enterprise
- CBE - Combination Business Enterprise
- SEDBE - Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Business Enterprise
- PWSBE - Public Works Small Business Enterprise (race and gender neutral)
Federal Certification
The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) requires all federally certified business owners to be U.S. citizens or permanent U.S. residents. This applies to OMWBE Federal Certification, and the following certification types.
- DBE - Disadvantaged Business Enterprise
- ACDBE - Airport Concession Disadvantaged Business Enterprise
- SBE - Small Business Enterprise (race and gender neutral)
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La Terraza on the Ave
Get ready for a day packed with culture, flavor, and excitement! La Terraza on the Ave brings the community together and celebrates Hispanic heritage with live music, folkloric dance, delicious food, local artists, local vendors, and our signature tequila garden.
Mark your calendar, bring the whole family, and join the celebration at La Terraza on the Ave!
¡Prepárate para un día lleno de cultura, sabor y diversion! La Terraza on the Ave une a la comunidad y celebra la herencia Hispana con música en vivo, bailes folclóricos, deliciosa comida, artistas y vendedores locales, y nuestro exclusivo jardín de tequila.
¡Apunta tu calendario, trae a toda la familia y únete a la celebración en La Terraza on the Ave!
When: May 17, 2025 | Sabado 17 de mayo, 2025 | 12PM - 9PM
Where: Wenatchee Ave, Yakima St & Orondo Ave, Wenatchee, WA
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OMWBE is preparing to launch Washington state's first ever LGBTQ certification program for small businesses! This new program will go live on July 1, 2025. In order to implement LGBTQ Certification, OMWBE is proposing a rule change and will gather comment via a public hearing. To learn more and provide feedback, register for the public hearing today.
When: Thursday, May 29 |10:00 AM - 11:30 PM
Where: Virtual on Zoom
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If you’re a business looking to grow at your own pace, the Revenue-Based Financing Fund may be the right fit for you. Revenue-based financing is an alternative to a traditional bank loan, with repayments that are customized to your specific needs and tailored to your business’s income.
Traditional forms of revenue-based financing are repaid from a business’s gross revenue. Financing supported by the Revenue-Based Financing Fund is different because repayment is based on a percentage of the business’s revenue after adjustments for investments and ordinary expenses that the business needs to grow — such as investments in new products or equipment, cost of goods, payroll, rent, taxes, and other allowable expenses.
The Washington Revenue-Based Financing Fund is supported by the Washington State Department of Commerce and the US Department of Treasury through the Washington State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI).
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The Washington State Department of Commerce is committed to investing in, and partnering with, communities like yours — now and into the future.
Our new Director of Commerce, Joe Nguyễn, is deeply committed to listening, learning, and being accountable to the people we serve, which is a top priority of Governor Ferguson.
A significant aspect of that commitment is delivering excellent customer service. We are already learning from the great feedback we've received! It helps us understand how we can better support the individuals, organizations and communities we work with every day. Please join one of the upcoming listening sessions so that we can learn from you too!
Monday, May 12 | 5:30PM - 6:30PM
Friday, May 23 | 8AM - 9AM
Thursday, May 29 | 11AM - 12PM
Visit the Commerce Community Engagement page to view all of your participation options.
If you need any assistance accessing the information or completing the survey, please email community.engagement@commerce.wa.gov
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Asian Pacific American Heritage Month is celebrated in May, honoring the rich histories, cultures, and contributions of people of Asian and Pacific Islander descent. It was designated in 1992, to commemorate the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants to the United States in May 1843 and the completion of the transcontinental railroad in May 1869, largely built by Chinese laborers.
This celebration is an opportunity to highlight the achievements of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders while also acknowledging the challenges these communities have faced. Please check out some local APAH month events in Washington State!
Tacoma: Tacoma Public Library May Events
Seattle: Asia Pacific Cultural Center May Events
Spokane: ANHPI Heritage Day | May 9-10
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OMWBE is continuing to track the following bills:
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Bill #
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Abbrev. Title
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Short Description
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Status
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Sponsor
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E2SHB 1213 ** (SB 5539)
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Paid family & medical leave
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Expanding protections for workers in the state paid family and medical leave program.
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Del to Gov
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Berry
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EHB 1747
(SB 5549)
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Job applicants and employees
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Expanding protections for applicants and employees under the Washington fair chance act.
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C 71 L 25
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Ortiz-Self
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ESSB 5161 **
(SHB 1227)
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Transportation budget
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Making transportation appropriations for the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium.
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Del to Gov
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Liias
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ESSB 5167 **
(SHB 1198)
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Operating budget
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Making 2025-2027 fiscal biennium operating appropriations.
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Del to Gov
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Robinson
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ESHB 2081 **
(SB 5815)
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Business and occupation tax
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Modifying business and occupation tax surcharges, rates, and the advanced computing surcharge cap, clarifying the business and occupation tax deduction for certain investments, and creating a temporary business and occupation tax surcharge on large companies.
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Del to Gov
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Fitzgibbon
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New Certifications
71 businesses obtained OMWBE certification in April! We share these monthly lists of newly certified firms with our contract and procurement contacts at State Agencies and Institutions of Higher Education.
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