The Small Business Recovery Technical Assistance Program is closed.
Vermont businesses that have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic can now seek free technical business assistance to help in their recovery. The Small Business Recovery Technical Assistance Program provides businesses with access to experts in several areas including:
- business operations, financial management, and grant writing;
- digital strategies;
- architecture and physical space design;
- reconfiguring manufacturing equipment and processes and incorporating safety measures;
- technology and software consulting; and
- legal, marketing, and other professional services.
The Small Business Recovery Technical Assistance Program is recommended for businesses that must change in some way to remain viable due to the challenges of the pandemic.
Program Service Providers
Regional Development Corporations
Each of the 12 Regional Development Corporations (RDCs) covering all parts of the state will have Navigators to work with businesses that enter the program. The RDCs have partnered with dozens of experts statewide, covering all aspects of business recovery and growth. RDC Navigators will connect program participants to these resources, as appropriate, free of charge. To register your business to request technical assistance or to register as a vendor that can provide technical assistance, visit www.VermontEconomicDevelopment.com.
Geographic- and Challenge-Specific Resources
In addition to the statewide expert resources provided by the RDCs, several partner organizations will provide services to businesses in certain sectors and in parts of the state, as well as specialized services for businesses with particular needs. If a geographic- or challenge-specific resource would be appropriate, businesses should contact that service provider directly.
- Champlain College's Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship will provide their network of business consultants. Businesses in need of organizational change can consult with experts from the Cooperrider Center for Appreciative Inquiry. Internal and external experts from the college's Leahy Center for Digital Forensics and Cybersecurity and Emergent Media Center will offer relevant technical support.
- On The Fly (OTF) is a collective of business, marketing and finance experts helping food, beverage and hospitality businesses navigate the COVID-19 crisis. Through OTF’s rapid-response model, businesses are matched with a team of experts to accomplish immediate goals based on their unique needs. Services may include: strategic planning for seasonal transition, financial assessment and scenario planning, website and eCommerce development, branding and creative development, marketing communications and PR, and more.
- Northern Community Investment Corporation (NCIC) has been providing business support services to companies in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont for years. NCIC Navigators can help Northeast Kingdom businesses identify the particular support needed to adjust to the conditions presented by the pandemic.
- The Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund (VSJF) partners with several organizations focusing on the recovery of businesses in the wood products industry. VSJF can assist businesses in that sector needing to pivot operations or marketing to recover from the conditions presented by the pandemic.
Businesses that believe they are a match for one of these geographic- or challenge-specific resources should contact that service provider directly.
Program Reporting
On March 24, 2021, the Agency published a report on the Restart Technical Assistance Program describing the program and outlining how the funding was used. To read the report, click here.