NEW YORK – The NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) has launched a new grant program called the Business Preparedness and Resiliency Program (BPREP) to support small businesses in the city’s floodplains in becoming more resilient in the face of natural disasters.
BPREP aims to serve approximately 450 businesses with a free risk assessment to identify business vulnerabilities.
Eligible small businesses and commercial property owners can receive grants of up to $5,000 to shore up their infrastructure with generators, fire- and flood-proof storage, and flood barriers.
“As climate change poses a growing threat to our city, it is imperative for New Yorkers to prepare for natural disasters and adapt to the new normal,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Maria Torres-Springer. “SBS’s Business Preparedness Resiliency Program not only helps small businesses assess their climate preparedness but also make investments to enhance it, and it aligns with the administration’s vision of a greener, cleaner, and safer New York City.”
According to the mayor’s office, The new program aligns with its strategic climate plan, which focuses on protecting New Yorkers from climate threats, improving quality of life, and enhancing businesses’ capacity to adapt in the face of natural disasters. The initiative is a partnership between SBS and the Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice (MOCEJ) to deliver on recommendations made in the city’s The New Normal report, building on the legacy of the previous Risk Assessment and Grant Program.
SBS’s Business PREP program equips business owners citywide with essential tools to enhance their resilience, identify vulnerabilities, and bolster overall preparedness. The Business Preparedness content on the MyCity Business website and SBS webinars offer accessible entry points for businesses to initiate their resilience journey and maintain readiness for any natural disaster.
Funds for small businesses will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis to eligible applicants who meet the following criteria:
- The applicant must be an owner or tenant of a commercial property located in an area at risk of or with exposure to flooding.
- At the time of application, the commercial property must have been occupied by a small business that has been operational for at least one (1) year.
- The applicant’s annual revenue for the prior calendar year, or the most recent calendar year for which the applicant submitted a federal income tax return, must not exceed $30 million.
- The applicant must not have previously received any grant or other benefit, including an assessment related to resiliency, from the BPREP Grant Program or the RiseNYC program.
“SBS is committed to providing our small businesses with essential tools and resources to prepare for natural disasters,” said SBS Commissioner Kevin D. Kim. “After more than a decade of historic floods and the accelerating impact of climate change, our city must be resilient in the face of unpredictability..”
Award determinations will occur in two rounds. The first round will consider applicants whose revenue is no more than $17 million, followed by any other applicant whose annual revenue does not exceed $30 million. Those interested in BPREP should go to nyc.gov/businessprep or call 888-SBS-4NYC.
SBS’s outreach team is partnering with chambers of commerce and community organizations, conducting door-to-door outreach, tabling neighborhood events, and providing onsite consultations in all five boroughs across NYC.
–-With Jay Domingo/PDM
