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DURA provides funding for business counseling programs to help construction companies navigate COVID-19

Colorado companies in the construction industry with one, five, ten employees — many minority-owned — face severe disadvantages in applying for federal relief funding and often lack the resources to adapt to and weather the COVID-19 crisis.

Funding recently released by DURA will support programs led by local nonprofits that provide business counseling services and resources to help construction-industry small businesses stay afloat during COVID-19. Programs will be offered and administered through three local nonprofits — Mi Casa Resource Center, Hispanic Contractors of Colorado (HCC) and the Black Business Initiative (BBI).

More than $655,000 was distributed among the three nonprofits as grants starting June 1 and came through DURA’s Construction Employment Opportunity (CEO) program.

Programs will focus on four core areas to help small businesses address current economic challenges:

• – Access to federal funding. The federal government has allocated billions in relief funds for small businesses as a result of COVID-19. Programs will educate participants on how to identify and apply for relief funds that often bypass small companies with fewer than 50 people.
• – Leveraging technology. To remain competitive during the pandemic, businesses need to get creative in how they use technology. Programs will help small companies to update their online infrastructure and transition to a more virtual environment.
• – Skills development and networking. Nonprofit partners have existing programs to help minority-owned businesses sharpen their skills and network with prime firms to learn about new contracting opportunities.
• – Certifications. To help small, minority and women-owned businesses be more competitive in the bidding process, DURA-funded programs will assist firms in obtaining Minority/Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) and Small Business Enterprise (SBE) certifications.

These programs are currently open to any Denver-area small and/or minority-owned business in the construction industry. To enroll in a program or learn more, contact one of the grantee organizations directly:

Black Business Initiative
bbiprofessional.com
303.900.7780

Hispanic Contractors of Colorado
hcc-diversityleader.org
303.893.2877

Mi Casa Resource Center
micasaresourcecenter.org
303.573.1302