For the past year, WRAL TechWire has been making weekly updates to our exclusive Triangle Startup Guide—ensuring that the resource-packed guide is as up-to-date as possible.
The guide has sections for VC/angel funding, networking groups, grants and competitions, accelerators and mentorship programs, incubators, and more resources. And when the pandemic hit in March, we added a new section for businesses seeking financial relief and support in an unprecedented time.
Now, seven months later, the COVID-19 section has more than 130 lines of resources, including state and federal relief programs, local funds, state and national grants, research funding sources, public health information, and more resources.
WRAL TechWire’s Triangle Startup Guide includes a section with COVID-19 relief and support resources for local businesses in the pandemic.
This week, we added four new resources to the COVID-19 section:
In the Nationwide Grants subsection, we added Comcast RISE. Launched by media giant Comcast earlier this month, Comcast RISE provides grants, marketing and other services to Black-owned small businesses that have been hit hard by the economic impact of the pandemic. Applications for the next round of support are due on Nov. 7.
In the same section, we also added the LISC Rural Relief Small Business Grant program, which provides funding to small businesses in rural communities with populations of 50,000 or less. The next deadline to apply is today, Nov. 2.
Under the Local Funds section, we added the CARES Revolving Loan Fund from United Durham Incorporated’s Community Development Corporation. The program offers loans of up to $50,000 to eligible businesses located in Durham County. The Revolving Loan Fund is supported by a CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant awarded to UDI in July by the federal U.S. Economic Development Administration.
We also updated the Main Street Lending Program listing to include a new minimum loan amount set by the Federal Reserve. Aiming to target small businesses, the Fed announced last week that it would offer loans as low as $100,000. Previously, $250,000 was the minimum.
Fed lowers funding amounts to reach more small businesses – here are new guidelines
If we missed a resource that you think we should add to the Triangle Startup Guide, please don’t hesitate to submit it for inclusion. You can email me directly, tweet me @shannoncuthrell or use this contact form.
