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BRISTOL, RI- On Thursday, November 25th, 2021, the Town of Bristol announced the launch of Propel East Bay RI.
Propel East Bay RI is a new online job board dedicated to promoting work opportunities in Bristol County, Rhode Island. This free-to-use platform is available to local businesses, residents, and students. Users have the ability to create online profiles to search, save, and apply to selected jobs. Businesses have access to a dashboard to manage job postings, create custom applications, and view job listing statistics. Propel East Bay RI was created in collaboration with the Bristol Town Administration, the Bristol-Warren Regional School District (BWRSD), and the East Bay Chamber of Commerce. The initiative also received support from the Town of Warren and the Town of Barrington. "As we continue to deal with impacts of COVID-19 on our local economy, businesses are having a difficult time finding talent to fill job openings," said Chris Vitale, Bristol's Economic Development Coordinator. "The goal of this platform is to help bridge the gap between our local businesses and job seekers and encourage workforce participation." Propel East Bay RI is sponsored in part by the Town of Bristol and BWRSD through a Pell Grant. The job board also offers paid Premium Listings, which give businesses a way to promote immediate openings while supporting the platform's maintenance costs. In addition to listing available full-time, part-time, and seasonal job opportunities, BWRSD is also working with local municipalities to develop an internship program. Students can explore their career interests more in-depth and access opportunities directly through the job board. "As a district, we want to expand access for each student to gain valuable on-the-job experience to develop their skills for whichever career they decide to pursue," said Dr. Nicole Lyons, College and Career Coordinator at Bristol-Warren Regional School District. "The job board will allow the community access to the untapped power of our students and connect students with our local economy." During the development of Propel East Bay RI, students at Mt. Hope High School played an integral role in designing the branding for the platform. "The MHHS Art Department appreciated the opportunity for our graphic design students to work with the Town of Bristol to create the logo for the new Propel East Bay RI job board," said Mt. Hope High School Teacher Lauren Enjeti. "Seniors Chelsea Goodman, Brandon Nelson, Kristiana Cabral, and Logan Justa contributed to the design, with Chelsea Goodman taking the lead on the finished logo." Businesses, residents, and students in the East Bay are encouraged to register for the online job board at propeleastbayri.com. For additional questions, please contact Chris Vitale, Economic Development Coordinator at cvitale@bristolri.gov, or by calling 401-253-7000 ext. 129. ###
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Release Date: November 19, 2021
Release Number: 21-110 SBA Announces Updated Guidance Regarding Applicant Deadlines for COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program Agency Strongly Encourages Submission of Supplemental Advance Applications by December 10; All Applications Due by December 31 WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced updated guidance for COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program applicants to better serve small business owners in need, while funding remains available. Since its inception, the COVID EIDL program, a federal disaster relief loan designed to better serve and support our small business communities still reeling from the pandemic, especially hard-hit sectors such as restaurants, gyms, and hotels, has approved nearly $300 billion in relief aid. Specifically, the following updated guidance is being provided:
“The COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and EIDL Advance programs still have billions of dollars available to help small businesses hard hit by the pandemic. More than 3.8 million businesses employing more than 20 million people have found financial relief through SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loans,” said Patrick Kelley, Associate Administrator for SBA’s Office of Capital Access. “Key enhancements have been made to the loan program that will help our nation’s businesses recover and get back on track.” In September, Administrator Guzman announced major enhancements to the COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. Key changes announced included:
How to apply Eligible small businesses, nonprofits, and agricultural businesses in all U.S. states and territories can apply. Visit www.sba.gov/eidl to learn more about eligibility and application requirements. The last day that applications may be received is December 31, 2021. Applications received by December 10 for Supplemental Advance will be processed in the order received and the SBA cannot guarantee processing of all applications by December 31. All applicants should file their applications as soon as possible to allow for processing. For additional information on COVID EIDL and other recovery programs, please visit www.sba.gov/relief. Small business owners may call SBA’s Customer Service Center 1-833-853-5638 (855-440-4960 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing) or email DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov for additional assistance. The center is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST. Abbreviated hours will be observed during the Thanksgiving holiday (closed on Thanksgiving Day; open Friday, November 26 – Sunday, November 28 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST). Multilingual representatives are available. Small business owners may also contact SBA’s Resource Partners by visiting www.sba.gov/local-assistance. Application Process and Fraud Control Enhancements In addition to the policy enhancements, the SBA has invested in optimized processes and increased capacity to improve the customer service experience for applicants. Directed by Administrator Guzman to swiftly and drastically enhance COVID EIDL, the revamped management team implemented new processes and performance management such as prioritizing personnel for COVID EIDL and increasing the average number of application decisions made. The SBA accelerated daily processing of loan increases from close to 2,000 applications to more than 37,000 applications daily. Loan officer productivity also went from 1.86 applications per day to 15 applications per day. As a result of these increased loan review rates, the 600,000+ loan increase backlog has been cleared and new applications are processed immediately. At the same time, and to ensure taxpayer dollars are used to support businesses that need COVID EIDL funding most, the SBA increased fraud controls and is working in collaboration with the SBA Inspector General to closely monitor the program. All business owners that have received previous loans through the SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF), or Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) may still benefit from COVID EIDL. To learn more about the application process, visit www.sba.gov/eidl. About Economic Injury Disaster Loans In response to COVID-19, small business owners, including agricultural businesses, and nonprofit organizations in all U.S. states, Washington D.C., and territories can apply for the COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL). The purpose of EIDL is to provide financial assistance for small businesses to meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could have been met had the disaster not occurred ### About the U.S. Small Business Administration The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov. |
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