TRENTON, N.J. (31 de marzo de 2021) – La Autoridad para el desarrollo económico de New Jersey (NJEDA) anunció que las empresas de New Jersey con 100 empleados o menos equivalentes a tiempo completo (FTE) podrán recibir descuentos de aproximadamente el 70% en la compra de equipos de protección personal (PPE) a través del Programa de acceso a PPE para pequeñas empresas y microempresas de NJ hasta el viernes, 28 de mayo de 2021 o hasta que se agoten los fondos del programa. 

Las pequeñas empresas y organizaciones interesadas en recibir estos descuentos deben presentar una solicitud en https://ppe.covid19.nj.gov/es. Las empresas que ya fueron aprobadas no necesitan volver a presentar una solicitud, pero los descuentos que ya hayan utilizado se descontarán del límite total del programa.

La NJEDA lanzó el Programa de acceso a PPE para pequeñas y microempresas de NJ a fines de 2020 en respuesta a las inquietudes constantes que surgían en la Comisión de reinicio y recuperación del gobernador, los comités de los nueve sectores del Consejo asesor en reinicio y recuperación del gobernador e información proveniente de diversas pequeñas y microempresas que indicaba que necesitaban PPE inmediatamente disponible a un precio asequible.

Durante la Fase 1 del programa, la NJEDA identificó y examinó a “proveedores designados”, incluidos Boxed, Office Depot y Staples, quienes se asociaron con la Autoridad para crear “micrositios” donde las empresas de New Jersey pueden comprar una selección aprobada de PPE con un descuento de al menos el 10%. La NJEDA también colaboró con el Departamento de Salud de New Jersey para crear una herramienta de planificación de PPE en línea que ayuda a las empresas a comprender los requisitos de PPE y estimar las necesidades de PPE a nivel de la organización. Puede encontrar enlaces a los micrositios de los proveedores designados y la herramienta de planificación de PPE en https://ppe.covid19.nj.gov/es.

Hay descuentos adicionales del 65% disponibles para las empresas y organizaciones sin fines de lucro con 100 empleados o menos que realicen compras en Staples o en Office Depot. Estos descuentos están disponibles además del 10% de descuento disponible para todas las empresas; por lo que las empresas pueden recibir aproximadamente un 70% de descuento en sus compras de PPE. Esta extensión de los descuentos tiene un límite de $800 para todas la empresas elegibles o $1,000 para las empresas ubicadas en una de las 715 áreas censales de New Jersey elegibles para ser designadas zonas de oportunidad. Hasta la fecha, más de 10,000 empresas han sido aprobadas para recibir más de $9 millones en descuentos.

Las pequeñas empresas y organizaciones interesadas en recibir estos descuentos adicionales deben presentar una solicitud en https://ppe.covid19.nj.gov/es. Una vez que la NJEDA confirma la elegibilidad de una empresa, el propietario de la empresa recibirá cupones para realizar compras a un proveedor designado de su preferencia. Las empresas que hayan presentado solicitudes anteriormente y hayan sido aprobadas para recibir descuentos a través del programa son elegibles y no necesitan volver a presentar una solicitud. Sin embargo, los descuentos que se hayan utilizado anteriormente se descontarán del límite del programa. Los cupones vencerán a las 11:59 p. m. del 28 de mayo de 2021, pero la NJEDA puede cerrar el programa con anterioridad si se agotan los fondos. Las empresas y organizaciones sin fines de lucro todavía podrán recibir descuentos del 10% en compras de PPE después de esta fecha.

Puede encontrar más información sobre el Programa de acceso a PPE y la solicitud de descuentos de hasta el 70% en https://ppe.covid19.nj.gov/es.

Acerca de la Autoridad para el desarrollo económico de New Jersey

La Autoridad para el desarrollo económico de New Jersey (NJEDA) es la agencia principal del Estado para impulsar el desarrollo económico. La NJEDA tiene el compromiso de hacer del Estado de New Jersey un modelo nacional para el desarrollo económico inclusivo y sostenible al centrarse en estrategias claves para ayudar a construir comunidades fuertes y dinámicas, crear buenos trabajos para los residentes de New Jersey y ofrecer oportunidades para una economía más sólida y justa. Mediante asociaciones con diversas partes interesadas, la NJEDA crea e implementa iniciativas para mejorar la vitalidad económica y la calidad de vida en el Estado y para fortalecer la competitividad económica a largo plazo de New Jersey.

Para obtener más información acerca de los recursos de la NJEDA para empresas, llame a la línea de atención al cliente de NJEDA al 609-858-6767 o visite https://www.njeda.gov y siga a @NewJerseyEDA en FacebookTwitter, Instagram LinkedIn.

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Notice of Funding Availability: Applications now available.

BACKGROUND ON SMALL AND MICRO BUSINESS PPE NEEDS

The NJ Small and Micro Business PPE Access Program was developed in response to consistent concerns emerging from the Governor’s Restart and Recovery Commission, the nine sector-based committees of the Governor’s Restart and Recovery Advisory Council and input from numerous small and micro businesses. Both the Commission and the Advisory Council highlighted the need for readily available, priced PPE to accelerate economic recovery.  As small and micro businesses and organizations in historically underserved communities are particularly vulnerable to being crowded out of essential goods when tight market conditions occur, a key consideration of the program has been the need to ensure equitable distribution and pricing of PPE.

More than one third of all New Jersey workers are employed by organizations of 100 employees or fewer. Many of these companies do not have the reach or the resources to obtain goods outside of their normal retail buying channels, particularly in times of significant supply/demand imbalances. PPE falls squarely into the category of a good that was not essential to many of these organizations before the COVID-19 outbreak but is critical today.


PROGRAM PURPOSE

Overall Program

The NJ Small and Micro Business PPE Access Program is designed to make fairly priced PPE more easily available to all the small and micro businesses and non-profit organizations in the state, to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 and reduce their burden of sourcing for the PPEs from the competitive markets. In addition to the above the program will:

  1. Facilitate the State’s economic recovery by ensuring that small and micro businesses and non-profit organizations – the customers – can access affordably priced PPE and other safeguarding equipment to protect their employees as they return to work and continue to operate in a COVID-19 environment;
  2. Ensure small and micro businesses and non-profit organizations have access to the information they need to select the appropriate PPE needed for their context;
  3. Ensure that businesses in historically underserved communities are particularly able to access affordable PPE; and
  4. Support the State’s manufacturing sector by providing an offsetting subsidy for purchases of PPE manufactured or assembled at a manufacturing facility in New Jersey.

The Phase 1 Program – Selecting Designated Vendors and Sourcing PPE from NJ Companies

On August 11, 2020, NJEDA approved Phase 1 of the PPE Access Program. The focus of Phase 1 has been to identify and designate qualified vendors to launch online platforms where NJ companies can buy PPE at fair prices from reliable vendors offering a curated array of quality products all at a discount to normal market prices.  Within the Program, these vendors are called “Designated Vendors” (DVs).  Small and micro businesses will access Designated Vendors’ online platforms via a PPE Access Program website hosted on the State’s COVID19.nj.gov site (https://covid19.nj.gov/ppeaccess).  Small businesses will also be able to learn about workplace PPE best practices and use a simple tool to determine their PPE needs.

In addition, Phase 1 includes an economic development component to encourage the Designated Vendors to make wholesale purchases of PPE from NJ manufacturers and from small distributors located in traditionally underserved NJ communities.  To support this aim, the NJEDA approved the creation of a $3.5 million grant pool to be used as subsidies to bridge potential pricing gaps between NJ manufacturers and distributors and the global market.

The Phase 2 Program – Providing Purchase Subsidies to Benefit Small and Micro Businesses

Based on the response received from DVs of varying types and sizes, the program was expanded by launching a second Phase, aimed at providing purchase subsidies through DVs to benefit the State’s small businesses with a focus on those located in historically underserved communities.

As part of Phase 2, on October 14, 2020, NJEDA approved a grant pool of $20.4 million for purchase price discounts of 25% through Designated Vendors to small and micro businesses.  The subsidized discount  had an initial cap of $400 per organization generally and $500 for organizations located in historically underserved communities (i.e., located in one of New Jersey’s 715 Opportunity Zone Eligible census tracts).  Companies eligible to benefit from these subsidies are determined by company size (based on full-time equivalent (“FTE”) employment) and location, as described more fully below.

Under paragraph 6(a) of the Request of the Members in the October 14, 2020 Board memo, the CEO was given the delegated authority to make changes to “extend internal program deadlines,” and under paragraph 6(b), he has the delegated the authority to “adjust per round small business coupon/discount values,” based upon program demand.

Based on initial experience of the Program’s second phase, Staff requested changes that substantially increased the level of program participation and ensured wider availability of essential PPE for New Jersey small businesses. The requested changes took effect on Tuesday, November 24, 2020. These changes:

The initial Phase 2 of the program ended on December 31, 2020.  Under his delegated authority to extend internal program deadlines, the CEO has granted an additional extension of the PPE Access program Phase 2 until no later than June 30, 2021.  

PROGRAM STRUCTURE AND ELIGIBILITY

Benefits through the Program

Phase 2 of the extended PPE Access Program has been structured to provide $2.5 million of grant funding

to cover 65% of eligible small businesses’ or non-profits’ PPE purchases through the Designated Vendors PPE Access Program sites. The 65% discount is capped per organization, per round of the Program, at $800 generally, and $1,000 for organizations in opportunity zone eligible census tracts.  This subsidized discount is in addition to the minimum 10% discount offered by each of the Designated Vendors under Phase 1 of the Program.

Discounts are made available by the Designated Vendors to businesses and non-profits (“Subsidy-Eligible Recipients” or “SERs”) having 100 or fewer FTE employees, based on EDA confirmation of eligibility.  The program eligibility threshold is at 100 FTEs for the following reasons:

A business’s FTE is determined based on its most recent NJ Department of Labor (“DOL”) form “NJ Employer Report of Wages Paid” (WR-30) where available, or, in limited circumstances where NJ DOL data is not available, through company self-certification.

Where possible, Designated Vendors will split the total value of the coupon/discount into multiple coupons/discounts of lower value to enhance flexibility of the program (i.e., allow SERs to split their PPE purchase up over multiple purchases).  The ability to offer that flexibility will be determined by the Designated Vendors’ technical capabilities and may differ by Designated Vendor.

While businesses will have the ability to purchase goods other than PPE from the Designated Vendors, all subsidies under this program will only apply to PPE offered through the Program.

General Program process

To simplify the administration of the grant funding for small businesses and non-profits, funds flow from NJEDA to the Designated Vendors, who provide the benefits to SERs in the form of a coupon/discount to reduce their payment obligations. 

The flow of application, approval and receipt of subsidies occurs as follows:

NJEDA’s determination that a business is eligible for a coupon/discount amount will be subject to continued funding availability.

Coupon/discount reimbursement to Designated Vendors will be made within 30 days after receipt of accounting documentation. To comply with the expenditure requirements of the CARES Act and the MOU with NJ Treasury, the Designated Vendor must document the PPE purchased by each SER and must request NJEDA disbursement from NJEDA no later than June 29, 2021 (or applicable deadline based upon any updated State and Federal CARES Act disbursement requirements).

Eligibility confirmation process

Organizations seeking to qualify as SERs and to benefit from the Phase 2 subsidies will be required to confirm their eligibility on the PPE Access Program website.  While the subsidy is offered through the Designated Vendors, NJEDA will be responsible for eligibility checks to ensure privacy, timeliness and simplicity. 

Eligibility will be determined once per round per EIN (meaning that businesses that utilize one EIN for multiple locations will only be able to access the coupons/discounts once per round).

Eligibility screening will include:

A tax clearance certificate from the New Jersey Department of Treasury’s Division of Taxation will not be required for a small business to benefit from this program.  However, tax clearance certificates continue to be required for the Designated Vendors in the Program.
 

During the eligibility check process, the SER will be required to confirm their correct email address.  SERs will be solely responsible for entering a correct email address; NJEDA will not verify or confirm the email address.

Appeals

Organizations will be able to appeal the Authority’s determination of Phase 2 eligibility within 5 days of notice of the determination.  Appeals will be reviewed by a NJEDA member who has not up until that point been directly involved in the eligibility determination. 

As the Authority is not involved in the actual issuance of the coupon/discount, in the use of the coupon/discount, in the sale of the PPE, the operation or functionality of the DV website, or such other actions or decisions under the DV’s sole control, any attempt to appeal from such actions will be rejected, as they are not a protest of an EDA action or decision. 

Similarly, any attempt to appeal because the SER entered and confirmed an incorrect email address will not be a valid basis for an appeal. Funds will be set aside for the maximum amount of subsidy support for any appeals that are lodged with the Authority. 

Post-eligibility audits

NJEDA will conduct audits to confirm that small business self-certifications provided during the eligibility assessment process were accurate.  In such cases where the audit reveals that a self-certification was not accurate, NJEDA may request that the funds be returned and/or may refer these organizations to the relevant State agency for further investigation.

Funding Disbursement

Disbursements (reimbursements of subsidized discounts) to Designated Vendors from the $2.5 million grant pool will be made up to 30 days after receipt of acceptable Phase 2 documentation.  Designated Vendors must submit request for NJEDA disbursement no later than June 29, 2021 to enable enough time for disbursement.

Additional Information

Additional information on the New Jersey Small and Micro Business PPE Access Program and this grant may be found at: https://covid19.nj.gov/ppeaccess.

TRENTON, N.J. (March 22, 2021) – The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) today announced that New Jersey businesses with 100 or fewer full-time equivalent employees (FTEs) will be able to receive discounts of nearly 70 percent off purchases of personal protective equipment (PPE) through the NJ Small and Micro Business PPE Access Program until Friday, May 28th, 2021 or until program funds are exhausted.  

Small businesses and organizations interested in receiving these discounts must apply at https://ppe.covid19.nj.gov. Businesses that have already been approved do not need to reapply, but any discounts they have used previously will be counted toward the total program cap.

The NJEDA launched the NJ Small and Micro Business PPE Access Program in late 2020 in response to consistent concerns emerging from the Governor’s Restart and Recovery Commission, the nine sector-based committees of the Governor’s Restart and Recovery Advisory Council, and input from numerous small businesses indicating the need for readily available, fairly priced PPE.

During Phase 1 of the program, the NJEDA identified and vetted “Designated Vendors,” including BoxedOffice Depot, and Staples, who have partnered with the Authority to create “microsites” where New Jersey-based businesses can purchase a curated selection of PPE products with at least a 10 percent discount. The NJEDA also collaborated with the New Jersey Department of Health to create an online PPE Planning Tool that helps businesses understand PPE product requirements and estimate their organizational PPE needs. Links to the Designated Vendor microsites and the PPE Planning Tool are available at https://covid19.nj.gov/ppeaccess.

Additional discounts of 65 percent are available to businesses and nonprofits with 100 or fewer employees that make purchases from Staples or Office Depot. These discounts are available in addition to the 10 percent discounts available to all businesses, so businesses are able to receive nearly 70 percent off PPE purchases. Expanded discounts are capped at $800 for all eligible businesses or $1,000 for businesses located in one of New Jersey’s 715 census tracts that were eligible to be designated as Opportunity Zones. To date, more than 10,000 businesses have been approved for more than $9 million in discounts.

Small businesses and organizations interested in receiving these additional discounts must apply at https://ppe.covid19.nj.gov. Once the NJEDA has confirmed a business’s eligibility, the business owner will receive vouchers for purchases from a Designated Vendor of their choice. Businesses that have previously applied and been approved to receive discounts through the program are eligible and do not need to reapply. However, any discounts they have redeemed previously will be counted toward the program cap. Vouchers will expire at 11:59 PM on May 28th, 2021, but the NJEDA may close the program sooner if funds are exhausted. Businesses and nonprofits will still be able to receive 10 percent discounts on PPE purchases after this date.

More information about the PPE Access Program and the application for discounts up to 70 percent are available at https://ppe.covid19.nj.gov.

About the New Jersey Economic Development Authority

The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) serves as the State’s principal agency for driving economic growth. The NJEDA is committed to making New Jersey a national model for inclusive and sustainable economic development by focusing on key strategies to help build strong and dynamic communities, create good jobs for New Jersey residents, and provide pathways to a stronger and fairer economy. Through partnerships with a diverse range of stakeholders, the NJEDA creates and implements initiatives to enhance the economic vitality and quality of life in the State and strengthen New Jersey’s long-term economic competitiveness.

To learn more about NJEDA resources for businesses call NJEDA Customer Care at 609-858-6767 or visit https://www.njeda.gov and follow @NewJerseyEDA on FacebookTwitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

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 TRENTON, N.J. (12 de febrero de 2021) – La Autoridad para el desarrollo económico de New Jersey (NJEDA) anunció hoy que tiene planeado volver a ofrecer descuentos de aproximadamente el 70% en el precio de equipos de protección personal (PPE) que se adquieran a través del Programa de acceso a PPE para pequeñas empresas y microempresas de NJ implementado por la Autoridad. La extensión de los descuentos estará disponible para empresas de New Jersey con 100 empleados o menos a partir del martes, 16 de febrero a las 9:00 a. m. Las pequeñas empresas y las organizaciones interesadas en recibir esos descuentos deben presentar una solicitud en https://ppe.covid19.nj.gov. Las empresas que fueron aprobadas antes del 17 de diciembre de 2020 no necesitan volver a presentar una solicitud.

“Garantizar que las empresas tengan acceso a los equipos de protección personal que necesitan para llevar a cabo sus actividades mientras protegen a sus empleados y clientes es fundamental para mitigar el impacto económico continuo de la pandemia de COVID-19 y preparar el terreno para una recuperación sólida”, expresó el Director ejecutivo de la NJEDA, Tim Sullivan. “El exitoso programa de acceso a PPE en 2020 desempeñó un rol importante al ayudar a las empresas de New Jersey a permanecer a salvo durante el invierno, y nos complace seguir proporcionando este recurso para pequeñas empresas en el nuevo año”.

La NJEDA lanzó el Programa de acceso a PPE para pequeñas y microempresas de NJ a fines de 2020 en respuesta a las inquietudes constantes que surgían en la Comisión de reinicio y recuperación del gobernador, los comités de los nueve sectores del Consejo asesor en reinicio y recuperación del gobernador e información proveniente de diversas pequeñas y microempresas que indicaba que necesitaban PPE inmediatamente disponible a un precio asequible.

Durante la Fase 1 del programa, la NJEDA identificó y examinó a “proveedores designados”, incluidos Boxed, Office Depot y Staples, quienes se asociaron con la Autoridad para crear “micrositios” donde las empresas de New Jersey pueden comprar una selección aprobada de PPE con un descuento del 10%. La NJEDA también colaboró con el Departamento de Salud de New Jersey para crear una herramienta de planificación de PPE en línea que ayuda a las empresas a comprender los requisitos de PPE y estimar las necesidades de PPE a nivel de la organización. Puede encontrar enlaces a los micrositios de los proveedores designados y la herramienta de planificación de PPE en https://covid19.nj.gov/ppeaccess.

Además del descuento del 10% disponible para todas las empresas, la NJEDA también habilitó descuentos adicionales del 65% para las empresas y organizaciones sin fines de lucro con 100 empleados o menos que realicen compras en Staples o en Office Depot. Esos descuentos estuvieron disponibles hasta el 17 de diciembre de 2020. Durante ese tiempo, la NJEDA aprobó descuentos para alrededor de 9,000 pequeñas empresas por un total de más de $7.6 millones.

Debido al éxito del programa, la NJEDA destinó otros $2.5 millones para ampliar los descuentos para pequeñas empresas. Estos descuentos estarán disponibles además del 10% de descuento disponible para todas las empresas; lo que significa que las empresas podrán recibir aproximadamente un 70% de descuento en sus compras de PPE. Esta extensión de los descuentos solo estará disponible para empresas con 100 empleados o menos y estará sujeta a los mismos límites establecidos por el programa en 2020: $800 para todas la empresas elegibles o $1,000 para las empresas ubicadas en una de las 715 áreas censales elegibles para ser designadas zonas de oportunidad.

Las pequeñas empresas y organizaciones interesadas en recibir estos descuentos adicionales deben presentar una solicitud en https://ppe.covid19.nj.gov. Una vez que la NJEDA confirma la elegibilidad de una empresa, el propietario de la empresa recibirá cupones para realizar compras a un proveedor designado de su preferencia. Las empresas que hayan presentado solicitudes anteriormente y hayan sido aprobadas para recibir descuentos a través del programa son elegibles y no necesitan volver a presentar una solicitud. Sin embargo, los descuentos que hayan utilizado anteriormente se descontarán del límite del programa (es decir, una empresa fuera de una Zona de oportunidad que usó $200 en descuentos en diciembre de 2020, ahora solo tendrá acceso a descuentos de hasta $600). Los cupones caducarán a las 11:59 p. m. del 24 de marzo de 2021. Las empresas y organizaciones sin fines de lucro todavía podrán recibir descuentos del 10% en compras de PPE después de esta fecha.

Puede encontrar más información sobre el Programa de acceso a PPE y la solicitud de descuentos de hasta el 70% en https://ppe.covid19.nj.gov.

Acerca de la Autoridad para el desarrollo económico de New Jersey

La Autoridad para el desarrollo económico de New Jersey (NJEDA) es la agencia principal del Estado para impulsar el desarrollo económico. La NJEDA tiene el compromiso de hacer del Estado de New Jersey un modelo nacional para el desarrollo económico inclusivo y sostenible al centrarse en estrategias claves para ayudar a construir comunidades fuertes y dinámicas, crear buenos trabajos para los residentes de New Jersey y ofrecer oportunidades para una economía más sólida y justa. Mediante asociaciones con diversas partes interesadas, la NJEDA crea e implementa iniciativas para mejorar la vitalidad económica y la calidad de vida en el Estado y para fortalecer la competitividad económica a largo plazo de New Jersey.

Para obtener más información acerca de los recursos de la NJEDA para empresas, llame a la línea de atención al cliente de NJEDA al 609-858-6767 o visite https://www.njeda.gov y siga a @NewJerseyEDA en FacebookTwitter, Instagram LinkedIn.

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TRENTON, N.J. (February 10, 2020) – The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) today announced plans to bring back discounts of nearly 70 percent off the price of personal protective equipment (PPE) purchased through the Authority’s New Jersey Small and Micro Business PPE Access Program. The expanded discounts will be available to New Jersey-based businesses with 100 or fewer employees beginning Tuesday, February 16th at 9:00 a.m. Small businesses and organizations interested in receiving these discounts must apply at https://ppe.covid19.nj.gov. Businesses that were approved prior to December 17, 2020 do not need to reapply.

“Ensuring businesses have access to the personal protective equipment they need to operate while keeping their employees and customers safe is crucial to mitigating the ongoing economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and setting the stage for a strong recovery,” said NJEDA Chief Executive Officer Tim Sullivan. “The PPE Access Program’s success in 2020 played an important role in helping New Jersey businesses stay safe during the winter and we are glad to continue providing this resource for small businesses in the new year.”

The NJEDA launched the NJ Small and Micro Business PPE Access Program in late 2020 in response to consistent concerns emerging from the Governor’s Restart and Recovery Commission, the nine sector-based committees of the Governor’s Restart and Recovery Advisory Council, and input from numerous small businesses indicating the need for readily available, fairly priced PPE.

During Phase 1 of the program, the NJEDA identified and vetted “Designated Vendors,” including Boxed, Office Depot, and Staples, who have partnered with the Authority to create “microsites” where New Jersey-based businesses can purchase a curated selection of PPE products at a 10 percent discount. The NJEDA also collaborated with the New Jersey Department of Health to create an online PPE Planning Tool that helps businesses understand PPE product requirements and estimate their organizational PPE needs. Links to the Designated Vendor microsites and the PPE Planning Tool are available at https://covid19.nj.gov/ppeaccess.

In addition to the 10 percent discounts available to all businesses, the NJEDA also made additional discounts of 65 percent available to businesses and nonprofits with 100 or fewer employees that make purchases from Staples or Office Depot. These discounts were available until December 17, 2020. During this time, the NJEDA approved nearly 9,000 small businesses for discounts totaling more than $7.6 million.

In light of the program’s success, the NJEDA has devoted another $2.5 million to expanded discounts for small businesses. These discounts will be available in addition to the 10 percent discounts available to all businesses, so businesses will be able to receive nearly 70 percent off PPE purchases. The expanded discounts will only be available to businesses with 100 or fewer employees and will be subject to the same caps that were placed on the program in 2020: $800 for all eligible businesses or $1,000 for businesses located in one of New Jersey’s 715 census tracts that were eligible to be designated as Opportunity Zones.

Small businesses and organizations interested in receiving these additional discounts must apply at https://ppe.covid19.nj.gov. Once the NJEDA has confirmed a business’s eligibility, the business owner will receive vouchers for purchases from a Designated Vendor of their choice. Businesses that have previously applied and been approved to receive discounts through the program are eligible and do not need to reapply. However, any discounts they have redeemed previously will be counted toward the program cap (i.e. a business outside an Opportunity Zone that used $200 in discounts in December 2020 will only have access to discounts up to $600 now). Vouchers will expire at 11:59 PM on March 24, 2021. Businesses and nonprofits will still be able to receive 10 percent discounts on PPE purchases after this date.

More information about the PPE Access Program and the application for discounts up to 70 percent are available at https://ppe.covid19.nj.gov.

About the New Jersey Economic Development Authority

The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) serves as the State’s principal agency for driving economic growth. The NJEDA is committed to making New Jersey a national model for inclusive and sustainable economic development by focusing on key strategies to help build strong and dynamic communities, create good jobs for New Jersey residents, and provide pathways to a stronger and fairer economy. Through partnerships with a diverse range of stakeholders, the NJEDA creates and implements initiatives to enhance the economic vitality and quality of life in the State and strengthen New Jersey’s long-term economic competitiveness.

To learn more about NJEDA resources for businesses call NJEDA Customer Care at 609-858-6767 or visit https://www.njeda.gov and follow @NewJerseyEDA on FacebookTwitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

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Notice of Funding Availability: Applications become available when the program re-opens at 9:00am Tuesday, February 16, 2021.

BACKGROUND ON SMALL AND MICRO BUSINESS PPE NEEDS

The NJ Small and Micro Business PPE Access Program was developed in response to consistent concerns emerging from the Governor’s Restart and Recovery Commission, the nine sector-based committees of the Governor’s Restart and Recovery Advisory Council and input from numerous small and micro businesses. Both the Commission and the Advisory Council highlighted the need for readily available, priced PPE to accelerate economic recovery.  As small and micro businesses and organizations in historically underserved communities are particularly vulnerable to being crowded out of essential goods when tight market conditions occur, a key consideration of the program has been the need to ensure equitable distribution and pricing of PPE.

More than one third of all New Jersey workers are employed by organizations of 100 employees or fewer. Many of these companies do not have the reach or the resources to obtain goods outside of their normal retail buying channels, particularly in times of significant supply/demand imbalances. PPE falls squarely into the category of a good that was not essential to many of these organizations before the COVID-19 outbreak but is critical today.


PROGRAM PURPOSE

Overall Program

The NJ Small and Micro Business PPE Access Program is designed to make fairly priced PPE more easily available to all the small and micro businesses and non-profit organizations in the state, to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 and reduce their burden of sourcing for the PPEs from the competitive markets. In addition to the above the program will:

  1. Facilitate the State’s economic recovery by ensuring that small and micro businesses and non-profit organizations – the customers – can access affordably priced PPE and other safeguarding equipment to protect their employees as they return to work and continue to operate in a COVID-19 environment;
  2. Ensure small and micro businesses and non-profit organizations have access to the information they need to select the appropriate PPE needed for their context;
  3. Ensure that businesses in historically underserved communities are particularly able to access affordable PPE; and
  4. Support the State’s manufacturing sector by providing an offsetting subsidy for purchases of PPE manufactured or assembled at a manufacturing facility in New Jersey.

The Phase 1 Program – Selecting Designated Vendors and Sourcing PPE from NJ Companies

On August 11, 2020, NJEDA approved Phase 1 of the PPE Access Program. The focus of Phase 1 has been to identify and designate qualified vendors to launch online platforms where NJ companies can buy PPE at fair prices from reliable vendors offering a curated array of quality products all at a discount to normal market prices.  Within the Program, these vendors are called “Designated Vendors” (DVs).  Small and micro businesses will access Designated Vendors’ online platforms via a PPE Access Program website hosted on the State’s COVID19.nj.gov site (covid19.nj.gov/ppeaccess).  Small businesses will also be able to learn about workplace PPE best practices and use a simple tool to determine their PPE needs.

In addition, Phase 1 includes an economic development component to encourage the Designated Vendors to make wholesale purchases of PPE from NJ manufacturers and from small distributors located in traditionally underserved NJ communities.  To support this aim, the NJEDA approved the creation of a $3.5 million grant pool to be used as subsidies to bridge potential pricing gaps between NJ manufacturers and distributors and the global market.

The Phase 2 Program – Providing Purchase Subsidies to Benefit Small and Micro Businesses

Based on the response received from DVs of varying types and sizes, the program was expanded by launching a second Phase, aimed at providing purchase subsidies through DVs to benefit the State’s small businesses with a focus on those located in historically underserved communities.

As part of Phase 2, on October 14, 2020, NJEDA approved a grant pool of $20.4 million for purchase price discounts of 25% through Designated Vendors to small and micro businesses.  The subsidized discount  had an initial cap of $400 per organization generally and $500 for organizations located in historically underserved communities (i.e., located in one of New Jersey’s 715 Opportunity Zone Eligible census tracts).  Companies eligible to benefit from these subsidies are determined by company size (based on full-time equivalent (“FTE”) employment) and location, as described more fully below.

Under paragraph 6(a) of the Request of the Members in the October 14, 2020 Board memo, the CEO was given the delegated authority to make changes to “extend internal program deadlines,” and under paragraph 6(b), he has the delegated the authority to “adjust per round small business coupon/discount values,” based upon program demand.

Based on initial experience of the Program’s second phase, Staff requested changes that substantially increased the level of program participation and ensured wider availability of essential PPE for New Jersey small businesses. The requested changes took effect on Tuesday, November 24, 2020. These changes:

The initial Phase 2 of the program ended on December 31, 2020.  Under his delegated authority to extend internal program deadlines, the CEO has granted an additional extension of the PPE Access program Phase 2 until no later than March 31, 2021.

PROGRAM STRUCTURE AND ELIGIBILITY

Benefits through the Program

Phase 2 of the extended PPE Access Program has been structured to provide $2.5 million of grant funding

to cover 65% of eligible small businesses’ or non-profits’ PPE purchases through the Designated Vendors PPE Access Program sites. The 65% discount is capped per organization, per round of the Program, at $800 generally, and $1,000 for organizations in opportunity zone eligible census tracts.  This subsidized discount is in addition to the minimum 10% discount offered by each of the Designated Vendors under Phase 1 of the Program.

Discounts are made available by the Designated Vendors to businesses and non-profits (“Subsidy-Eligible Recipients” or “SERs”) having 100 or fewer FTE employees, based on EDA confirmation of eligibility.  The program eligibility threshold is at 100 FTEs for the following reasons:

A business’s FTE is determined based on its most recent NJ Department of Labor (“DOL”) form “NJ Employer Report of Wages Paid” (WR-30) where available, or, in limited circumstances where NJ DOL data is not available, through company self-certification.

Where possible, Designated Vendors will split the total value of the coupon/discount into multiple coupons/discounts of lower value to enhance flexibility of the program (i.e., allow SERs to split their PPE purchase up over multiple purchases).  The ability to offer that flexibility will be determined by the Designated Vendors’ technical capabilities and may differ by Designated Vendor.

While businesses will have the ability to purchase goods other than PPE from the Designated Vendors, all subsidies under this program will only apply to PPE offered through the Program.

General Program process

To simplify the administration of the grant funding for small businesses and non-profits, funds flow from NJEDA to the Designated Vendors, who provide the benefits to SERs in the form of a coupon/discount to reduce their payment obligations. 

The flow of application, approval and receipt of subsidies occurs as follows:

NJEDA’s determination that a business is eligible for a coupon/discount amount will be subject to continued funding availability.

Coupon/discount reimbursement to Designated Vendors will be made within 30 days after receipt of accounting documentation. To comply with the expenditure requirements of the CARES Act and the MOU with NJ Treasury, the Designated Vendor must document the PPE purchased by each SER and must request NJEDA disbursement from NJEDA no later than March 29, 2021 (or applicable deadline based upon any updated State and Federal CARES Act disbursement requirements).

Eligibility confirmation process

Organizations seeking to qualify as SERs and to benefit from the Phase 2 subsidies will be required to confirm their eligibility on the PPE Access Program website.  While the subsidy is offered through the Designated Vendors, NJEDA will be responsible for eligibility checks to ensure privacy, timeliness and simplicity. 

Eligibility will be determined once per round per EIN (meaning that businesses that utilize one EIN for multiple locations will only be able to access the coupons/discounts once per round).

Eligibility screening will include:

A tax clearance certificate from the New Jersey Department of Treasury’s Division of Taxation will not be required for a small business to benefit from this program.  However, tax clearance certificates continue to be required for the Designated Vendors in the Program.

During the eligibility check process, the SER will be required to confirm their correct email address.  SERs will be solely responsible for entering a correct email address; NJEDA will not verify or confirm the email address.

Appeals

Organizations will be able to appeal the Authority’s determination of Phase 2 eligibility within 5 days of notice of the determination.  Appeals will be reviewed by a NJEDA member who has not up until that point been directly involved in the eligibility determination. 

As the Authority is not involved in the actual issuance of the coupon/discount, in the use of the coupon/discount, in the sale of the PPE, the operation or functionality of the DV website, or such other actions or decisions under the DV’s sole control, any attempt to appeal from such actions will be rejected, as they are not a protest of an EDA action or decision. 

Similarly, any attempt to appeal because the SER entered and confirmed an incorrect email address will not be a valid basis for an appeal. Funds will be set aside for the maximum amount of subsidy support for any appeals that are lodged with the Authority. 

Post-eligibility audits

NJEDA will conduct audits to confirm that small business self-certifications provided during the eligibility assessment process were accurate.  In such cases where the audit reveals that a self-certification was not accurate, NJEDA may request that the funds be returned and/or may refer these organizations to the relevant State agency for further investigation.

Funding Disbursement

Disbursements (reimbursements of subsidized discounts) to Designated Vendors from the $2.5 million grant pool will be made up to 30 days after receipt of acceptable Phase 2 documentation.  Designated Vendors must submit request for NJEDA disbursement no later than March 29, 2021 to enable enough time for disbursement.

Additional Information Additional information on the New Jersey Small and Micro Business PPE Access Program and this grant may be found at: https://covid19.nj.gov/ppeaccess

TRENTON, N.J. (December 16, 2020) – Only one day remains for New Jersey small businesses to receive discounts of nearly 70 percent on purchases of personal protective equipment (PPE) through the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) NJ Small and Micro Business PPE Access Program. The deadline to receive discounts is 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, December 17th. Businesses will still be able to purchase PPE at 10 percent discounts after this time, but higher discounts for small businesses will no longer be available. Businesses can purchase discounted PPE now at https://ppe.covid19.nj.gov.

Launched in October 2020 in response to high demand for affordable PPE, the NJ Small and Micro Business PPE Access Program allows New Jersey businesses to purchase discounted PPE through NJEDA identified and vetted “Designated Vendors.” Current Designated Vendors include Boxed, Office Depot, and Staples. These suppliers have created “microsites” where any New Jersey-based business or nonprofit can purchase PPE at a 10 percent discount.

In addition to the 10 percent discounts available to all businesses, the NJEDA has also made $20.4 million available to provide additional discounts of 65 percent to businesses and nonprofits with 100 or fewer employees that make purchases from Staples or Office Depot. These discounts are available in addition to the 10 percent discounts available to all businesses; meaning businesses with 100 or fewer employees can receive nearly 70 percent off PPE purchases, up to a program cap of $800 for all eligible businesses or $1,000 for businesses located in one of New Jersey’s 715 census tracts that were eligible to be designated as Opportunity Zones.

Small businesses and organizations interested in receiving these additional discounts on PPE purchases must apply at https://ppe.covid19.nj.gov. These nearly 70 percent discounts expire tomorrow, December 17th, so businesses that want to benefit should make purchases as soon as possible. Businesses and nonprofits will still be able to receive 10 percent discounts on PPE purchases after this date.

About the New Jersey Economic Development Authority
The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) serves as the State’s principal agency for driving economic growth. The NJEDA is committed to making New Jersey a national model for inclusive and sustainable economic development by focusing on key strategies to help build strong and dynamic communities, create good jobs for New Jersey residents, and provide pathways to a stronger and fairer economy. Through partnerships with a diverse range of stakeholders, the NJEDA creates and implements initiatives to enhance the economic vitality and quality of life in the State and strengthen New Jersey’s long-term economic competitiveness.

To learn more about NJEDA resources for businesses call NJEDA Customer Care at 609-858-6767 or visit https://www.njeda.gov and follow @NewJerseyEDA on FacebookTwitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

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TRENTON, N.J. (December 9, 2020) – In response to significant demand for support through the program, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) today announced that the deadline for companies to receive nearly 70 percent discounts on purchases of personal protective equipment (PPE) through the NJ Small and Micro Business PPE Access Program has been extended one week to Thursday, December 17th, 2020. To date, more than 7,500 businesses and organizations have been approved for more than $6.4 million in discounts through the program. More information is available at https://ppe.covid19.nj.gov
 
The NJ Small and Micro Business PPE Access Program allows New Jersey businesses to purchase discounted PPE through NJEDA identified and vetted “Designated Vendors.” Current Designated Vendors include Boxed, Office Depot, and Staples. These suppliers have created “microsites” where any New Jersey-based business or nonprofit can purchase PPE at a 10 percent discount.
 
In addition to the 10 percent discounts available to all businesses, the NJEDA has also made $20.4 million available to provide additional discounts of 65 percent to businesses and nonprofits with 100 or fewer employees that make purchases from Staples or Office Depot. These discounts are available in addition to the 10 percent discounts available to all businesses; meaning businesses with 100 or fewer employees can receive nearly 70 percent off PPE purchases, up to a program cap of $800 for all eligible businesses or $1,000 for businesses located in one of New Jersey’s 715 census tracts that were eligible to be designated as Opportunity Zones.
 
Small businesses and organizations interested in receiving these additional discounts on PPE purchases must apply at https://ppe.covid19.nj.gov. Once the NJEDA has confirmed their eligibility, they will receive vouchers for purchases from a Designated Vendor of their choice. Vouchers will expire on December 17th, 2020. Businesses and nonprofits will still be able to receive 10 percent discounts on PPE purchases after this date.
 
 
About the New Jersey Economic Development Authority
The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) serves as the State’s principal agency for driving economic growth. The NJEDA is committed to making New Jersey a national model for inclusive and sustainable economic development by focusing on key strategies to help build strong and dynamic communities, create good jobs for New Jersey residents, and provide pathways to a stronger and fairer economy. Through partnerships with a diverse range of stakeholders, the NJEDA creates and implements initiatives to enhance the economic vitality and quality of life in the State and strengthen New Jersey’s long-term economic competitiveness.
 
To learn more about NJEDA resources for businesses call NJEDA Customer Care at 609-858-6767 or visit https://www.njeda.gov and follow @NewJerseyEDA on FacebookTwitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
 

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Businesses and organizations with 100 or fewer employees can apply for nearly 70 percent discounts on PPE purchases 

TRENTON, N.J. (November 23, 2020) – The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) today announced that it will increase the discounts available on purchases of personal protective equipment made through the NJ Small and Micro Business PPE Access Program to nearly 70 percent, effective Tuesday, November 24, 2020. The Authority will also double the per-business cap on discount vouchers. These discounts will be available to New Jersey businesses and nonprofits with 100 or fewer employees until December 10, 2020. More information is available at https://covid19.nj.gov/ppeaccess.  
 
“As the weather gets colder and the holiday shopping season approaches, reliable access to affordable PPE is more important than ever for New Jersey small businesses,” said NJEDA Chief Executive Officer Tim Sullivan. “The NJ Small and Micro Business PPE Access Program is a unique collaboration between government and industry that helps business owners identify their specific PPE needs and acquire the products they need to keep their employees and customers safe. At a time when all businesses are struggling and small businesses are facing particularly tough challenges, the discounts this program offers are crucial to ensuring a safe and successful holiday season for the New Jersey business community.” 
 
The NJ Small and Micro Business PPE Access Program allows New Jersey businesses to purchase discounted PPE through NJEDA identified and vetted “Designated Vendors.” Current Designated Vendors include Boxed, Office Depot, and Staples. These suppliers have created “microsites” where any New Jersey-based business or nonprofit can purchase PPE at a 10 percent discount. Links to these microsites are available at https://covid19.nj.gov/ppeaccess.
 
In addition to the 10 percent discounts available to all businesses, the NJEDA has also made $20.4 million available to provide additional discounts to businesses and nonprofits with 100 or fewer employees that make purchases from Staples or Office Depot. Initially set at an additional 25 percent, the NJEDA has now increased these additional discounts for small businesses and organizations to 65 percent. These discounts are available in addition to the 10 percent discounts available to all businesses; meaning businesses with 100 or fewer employees can receive nearly 70 percent off PPE purchases. The NJEDA is also doubling the cap on total discounts a business or organization can receive from $400 for any business and $500 for businesses operating in one of New Jersey’s 715 census tracts that were eligible to be designated as Opportunity Zones to $800 for all businesses and $1,000 for businesses in Opportunity Zone-eligible census tracts. Businesses that have already made purchases through the program will be able to receive vouchers for additional purchases up to the new program caps, but the 65 percent discount will only apply to purchases made on or after November 24, 2020.
 
Small businesses and organizations interested in receiving these additional discounts on PPE purchases must apply at https://covid19.nj.gov/ppeaccess. Once the NJEDA has confirmed their eligibility, they will receive vouchers for purchases from a Designated Vendor of their choice. Vouchers will expire on December 10, 2020. Businesses and nonprofits will still be able to receive 10 percent discounts on PPE purchases after this date. To date, 1,950 businesses and organizations have received almost $850,000 in vouchers through the program.
 
In addition to offering discounted PPE, the NJEDA also collaborated with the New Jersey Department of Health to create an online PPE Planning Tool that helps businesses understand PPE product requirements and estimate their organizational PPE needs. The PPE Planning Tool is available at https://covid19.nj.gov/ppeaccess
 
The NJEDA administers a variety of grant, low-cost financing, and technical assistance programs for small and mid-sized businesses impacted by COVID-19. Comprehensive information about these programs and other State support for businesses impacted by the pandemic is available at https://cv.business.nj.gov
 
                    
About the New Jersey Economic Development Authority
The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) serves as the State’s principal agency for driving economic growth. The NJEDA is committed to making New Jersey a national model for inclusive and sustainable economic development by focusing on key strategies to help build strong and dynamic communities, create good jobs for New Jersey residents, and provide pathways to a stronger and fairer economy. Through partnerships with a diverse range of stakeholders, the NJEDA creates and implements initiatives to enhance the economic vitality and quality of life in the State and strengthen New Jersey’s long-term economic competitiveness.
 
To learn more about NJEDA resources for businesses call NJEDA Customer Care at 609-858-6767 or visit https://www.njeda.gov and follow @NewJerseyEDA on FacebookTwitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
 

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