Harrisburg skyline (file photo)
A locally awarded grant will seek to increase contracting opportunities for minority-owned businesses in Harrisburg.
Impact Harrisburg has given The Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC a $125,000 grant to implement recommendations from a disparity study the city completed.
In June 2022, Harrisburg launched a survey to help identify and develop a list of minority-, women-, disabled-, veteran- and LGBTQ-owned businesses in the city. The city, in partnership with nonprofit Impact Harrisburg, hired Econsult Solutions, Inc. to compare the availability of minority-owned businesses to how often they are used for contracting opportunities in the city.
The disparity study, completed in October 2022, also offered suggestions on how to better support diverse businesses. Recommendations included initiatives like creating a unified diverse supplier directory, hosting forums on the procurement process and holding networking events.
The grant that the chamber received is aimed at helping advance these efforts.
Grant funding will be used specifically by the chamber’s Capital Region Economic Development Corporation (CREDC) to support local businesses as they launch, develop and expand. The organization will also work to partner with the communities addressed in the study and help provide business training.
“We are proud and excited to work with Impact Harrisburg on their mission to provide all businesses with opportunities to succeed in the city of Harrisburg,” said chamber President and CEO Ryan Unger, in a release. “Our core values of being inclusive and collaborative are evident in this partnership. Harrisburg is a great place to live and work and we want to help everyone have the chance to thrive here.”
According to the release, Impact Harrisburg chose to award the grant to CREDC based on the organization’s experience providing businesses with economic resources.
“Our partnership with CREDC is an outgrowth of the recognition and concern identified within the Harrisburg Strong Plan, and Impact Harrisburg’s direct experience, that the city has lagged behind in creating economic development opportunities and growth across the diverse demographic spectrum that comprises the City,” said Impact Harrisburg Chairman Gloria Martin Roberts.
For more information about the Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC, visit their website. To learn more about Impact Harrisburg, visit their website.
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