Press Release

U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $879,000 to Help Flood-Damaged Small Businesses in Pennsylvania

Contact: Public Affairs Department, (202) 482-4085
Wednesday, February 27, 2013

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration (EDA) today announced an $879,000 grant to the University of Pennsylvania to provide technical assistance to small businesses that were affected by severe flooding of the Susquehanna River in 2011.

"This EDA grant will provide invaluable assistance to Pennsylvania businesses, and is an excellent example of the Obama administration's commitment to helping communities rebuild and recover in the wake natural disasters," said Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Matt Erskine. "The resources that will be made available will help ensure the economic vitality of countless businesses in Pennsylvania and the communities that depend on them."

The EDA funds will enable the University of Pennsylvania, through the Pennsylvania Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and six additional university-based SBDCs located at Bucknell, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Shippensburg, Scranton, and Wilkes, to provide technical assistance to small firms located within a 14-county area of Pennsylvania along the Susquehanna River. The primary focus of these efforts will be facilitating the adoption of cloud computing services, which enable businesses to increase their resiliency and more quickly restore basic operations in the wake of a disaster.

The project is part of a $200 million appropriation made by Congress to EDA to help communities that received a major disaster designation in fiscal year 2011 with long-term economic recovery and infrastructure support.

Within the context of the administration's National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF), EDA serves as the Coordinating Agency on behalf of the Department of Commerce for the Economic Recovery Support Function (RSF) to coordinate the activities of a diverse group of partner agencies supporting recovery in disaster-impacted communities. The activities consist primarily of improved information sharing and the leveraging of existing resources to make a positive impact for communities affected by disasters.

About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation's regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA makes investments in economically distressed communities in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.