HARRISBURG, PA — The Shapiro administration announced a new round of state funding that includes $15 million to seed micro-grant programs for historically disadvantaged small businesses, more than $31 million for seven industrial site-development projects intended to create “shovel-ready” locations for employers, and over $3 million in support tied to a manufacturing expansion in Columbia County expected to create 125 jobs.
What This Means for You
- Ten micro-grant programs are being funded to help small businesses cover costs to start or expand.
- Seven projects are receiving more than $31 million to prepare industrial sites for development, including infrastructure, demolition, and remediation work.
- A manufacturer is reopening a former bow-and-ribbon facility in Columbia County with state-backed financing and training support.
$15 Million for Historically Disadvantaged Business Micro-Grants
Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary Rick Siger said on Monday that $15 million is being invested through the Historically Disadvantaged Business Assistance Program to support ten micro-grant programs run by service centers, regional economic development organizations, or institutions of higher education.
“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and create vibrant, healthy communities,” Siger said.
The recipients and award amounts listed by DCED are:
- $8,450,000 to the Pennsylvania CDFI Network for statewide support in all 67 counties.
- $1,100,000 to the Chester County Economic Development Council to support Perry, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lebanon, Berks, Montgomery, Bucks, Chester, and Delaware counties.
- $1,100,000 to Seton Hill University to support Westmoreland, Allegheny, Cambria, Indiana, Somerset, Fayette, Washington, and Greene counties.
- $1,000,000 to the Greater Erie Economic Development Corporation to support Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Forest, Jefferson, McKean, Mercer, Potter, Venango, and Warren counties.
- $1,000,000 to the Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance to support Tioga, Bradford, Susquehanna, Lycoming, Sullivan, Wyoming, Lackawanna, Wayne, Pike, Montour, Columbia, and Luzerne counties.
- $700,000 to Lehigh University to support Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, Schuylkill, Carbon, and Monroe counties.
- $500,000 to Greenline Access Capital to support Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties.
- $500,000 to the Women’s Opportunities Resource Center to support Philadelphia, Montgomery, Bucks, Delaware, and Chester counties.
- $400,000 to the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to support Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, and Washington counties.
- $250,000 to North Side Industrial Development Company to support Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Blair, Butler, Cambria, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Somerset, Washington, and Westmoreland counties.
Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce CEO Melanie Marie Boyer said the funding would be used with partner organizations to put capital “directly into the hands of entrepreneurs.”
Women’s Opportunities Resource Center Executive Board Chair and Founder Lynne Cutler said the grant would allow the organization to expand an owner-occupied commercial real estate program into additional counties by offering grants toward closing costs and pairing grants with microloans.
PA CDFI Network CEO Varsovia Fernandez said the funding is timely, particularly for rural areas where small businesses face challenges accessing capital.
DCED said the program opened in December 2024 with funding supported in the 2024-25 state budget. The administration also cited an earlier announcement of more than $21 million to establish 11 Business Assistance Service Centers to provide technical support to small businesses.
More Than $31 Million for PA SITES Projects
On Tuesday, Gov. Josh Shapiro and Siger announced more than $31 million in awards for seven projects through PA SITES, a site-development initiative intended to create development-ready industrial locations.
“When I took office, I directed our team to put together a plan to make our Commonwealth more competitive and grow our economy,” Shapiro said.
The Round 3 awards listed by DCED include:
- Allegheny County: $8,980,000 grant to AMS Land Acquisitions, LLC, for Phase I development of the 596-acre Pittsburgh Innovation Park property in Findlay Township, including road and utility infrastructure, grading, stormwater facilities, and environmental remediation if needed.
- Columbia County: $935,789 grant to the Berwick Industrial Development Association to demolish two buildings in Berwick Borough contaminated with asbestos to prepare a site for a 125,000-square-foot building.
- Luzerne County: $11,450,000 to the Greater Hazleton Community-Area New Development Organization, Inc., including a $6,300,000 grant and a $5,150,000 loan, to develop a 150-acre site in Hazle Township into the Humboldt Industrial Park Northwest with multiple parcels and planned industrial buildings.
- Northampton County: $250,000 grant to Greystone Capital, Inc., for planning and design services to develop a 54-acre industrial campus in Glendon Borough; and an $875,000 grant to Eastupland Associates to demolish the existing SureStay Hotel in Hanover Township to prepare for a 250,000-square-foot industrial building.
- Northumberland County: $5,753,400 grant to DRIVE to develop a 100-plus-acre site in Point Township into a pad-ready manufacturing or light industrial site, including grading, utility work, and septic system studies.
- Schuylkill County: $3,108,663 to Schuylkill Economic Development Corporation, split into a $1,554,331 grant and a $1,554,332 loan, for improvements to a 26.4-acre parcel in Foster Township, including studies, grading, transmission extensions, and stormwater and paving work.
DCED said the first two rounds of PA SITES awards were announced in May 2025 and October 2025 and that the program accepts applications on a rolling quarterly basis. The department said PA SITES has awarded more than $146.4 million to 37 projects since inception.
The administration also cited recent major corporate projects announced in the prior month, stating that Eli Lilly is eligible for up to $25 million in PA SITES funding for a planned $3.5 billion facility in the Lehigh Valley and that Johnson & Johnson’s more than $1 billion expansion in Montgomery County is eligible for up to $15 million.
Columbia County Manufacturing Project
On Wednesday, Shapiro announced a $5 million private investment by Berwick Industries Incorporated to open a new operation in Columbia County at a former bow-and-ribbon production facility on East 9th Street that closed in 2025.
The state is investing more than $3 million in the project through a package that includes a $2.8 million Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority loan, a $200,000 Pennsylvania First grant, and a $150,000 WEDnetPA grant for worker training, according to the administration.
Berwick Industries Owner and CEO Carey Edwards said the company is reopening the facility and modernizing operations.
Stephen Ursich, vice president of business development for the Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance, said the investment would expand operations and create 125 new jobs in northeastern Pennsylvania. Kelly O’Brien, executive director of the Berwick Industrial Development Association, said the move would bring renewed activity to the area’s industrial corridors.
Next Steps
DCED said the micro-grant programs will be administered through partner organizations and service centers, while PA SITES will continue accepting applications for eligible projects on a rolling quarterly basis.
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