MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Greater Bemidji, Northwest Minnesota Foundation receive child care funding

Pioneer Staff Report — Thu, 06 Feb 2025 18:43:38 GMT

ST. PAUL — Two Bemidji area organizations have received funding as part of $6.1 million in grants announced by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to expand access to child care across the state.

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development has awarded 25 organizations with Child Care Economic Development Grants, expected to expand child care capacity by 1,400 slots statewide.

"Affordable, reliable child care is essential for a thriving economy — it removes the barriers that prevent parents from entering the workforce and makes life easier and more affordable for families," said Gov. Tim Walz. "These grants are creating opportunities for child care providers, expanding high-quality, affordable childcare and growing our economy."

DEED's Child Care Economic Development Grant program provides funding to communities to invest in new or expanding child care businesses, including facility improvements, worker training, attraction, retention and licensing and other strategies to reduce the child care shortage.

The program, administered by DEED's Office of Child Care Community Partnerships, coordinates the efforts of state government, communities, businesses and nonprofit organizations that are working to provide child care.

In the Bemidji area, the Northwest Minnesota Foundation received $134,530 and Greater Bemidji, Inc. received $575,000.

"Access to workers remains the most difficult challenge facing economic growth in the greater Bemidji region. It's critical we increase workforce participation by reducing barriers to work for our community members — first among them is child care," said Dave Hengel, Executive Director of Greater Bemidji. "This grant will directly increase our economic growth and expansion in both the Bemidji area and the Red Lake Nation."

Hengel said the funding will support three child care expansions and create a resource center for providers in the region.

"Access to affordable, reliable child care gives families and caregivers options and peace of mind," said Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan. "Child care investments benefit businesses, families, and our economy. These new grants are helping us create a state where all families can thrive, and all children are set up for success from day one."

Of the funds awarded, 84%, or $5.1 million, will go toward increasing child care availability in Greater Minnesota, creating 1,337 slots.

"Secure child care is not only important for parents' peace of mind, but is a crucial aspect of maintaining a healthy and thriving economy," said DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek. "As the demand for more child care availability continues to increase, public investments in this sector take on even greater importance. Today's Child Care Economic Development Grants are one of the ways we're working with partners around the state to serve working families."

Since the inception of the office in July 2023, DEED has awarded $12 million in grants to 45 organizations to fund child care startups or business expansions, resulting in over 3,500 new child care slots.

SmileHub recently ranked Minnesota a top state for children, in part because of the availability and credibility of the state's child care centers.

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DEED launches final grant round for Main Street Economic Revitalization Program

Pioneer Staff Report — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 18:17:36 GMT

BEMIDJI — The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development is offering $4.68 million through its final round of the Main Street Economic Revitalization Program.

Organizations eligible to submit proposals for the grant funding, as partner organizations, include foundations engaged in economic development, community development financial institutions and nonprofit organizations engaged in housing and commercial development, a release said.

Elected partner organizations will use the awarded grant funds to establish funding programs that provide assistance for eligible recipients and projects that support community and economic development within one or more defined commercial corridors or main street districts.

Once approved, community businesses and organizations eligible to receive funding from these partner organizations can use those awards for property repair or renovation, building construction, landscaping and street scaping, demolition and site preparation, predesign and design, engineering, non-publicly owned infrastructure and related site amenities, explained the release.

"Our main streets are key local and regional economic growth drivers," DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek said in the release. "Grants and loans from previous Main Street Economic Revitalization Program grant rounds helped create jobs and spark investment in key commercial corridors across Minnesota."

According to the release, more than 600 individual projects have been approved with $696 million in matching funds through previous rounds of the program.

The Northwest Minnesota Foundation received over $2 million in funding from the program to distribute to area businesses in 2022.

The application deadline is 4 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 22. DEED will select and announce the partner organizations in January 2025.

To apply, visit mn.gov/deed/business/financing-business/deed-programs/emergency-programs/economic-revitalization.

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Yoyo Donuts in Walker awarded $175,000 equipment grant

Pioneer Staff Report — Thu, 30 May 2024 16:12:46 GMT

WALKER — The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development awarded $3.9 million in Job Creation Fund and Minnesota Investment Fund awards for business expansion projects statewide, including a $175,000 grant to Yoyo Donuts in Walker.

According to a release, the Minnesota Investment Fund provides financing to help add new workers and retain high-quality jobs, with a focus on industrial, manufacturing and technology-related industries, increasing the local and state tax base and improving Minnesota's economic vitality. Funds are awarded to local units of government, which provide loans to assist expanding businesses.

The projects are expected to create or retain 225 jobs and leverage nearly $56.3 million in outside investment.

Yoyo Donuts is a nut-free bakery specializing in donuts distributed across the United States. Yoyo Donuts has a production facility in Minnetonka that provides products for the Walker storefront.

As the Walker facility undergoes renovations to include production and expand storage and shipping capacity, Minnesota Investment funds will be used to purchase new production equipment. The total project cost is $991,812 and is expected to create 15 new jobs, the release said.

"Minnesota is one of the best places in the country to start and grow a business," DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek said in the release. "The Minnesota Investment Fund and Job Creation Fund are just two of many programs DEED offers to help businesses expand and offer well-paying jobs for skilled Minnesotans."

Nine grants were awarded across greater Minnesota.

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SBA to host webinar for businesses affected by lack of snow

Trent Abrego — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 17:43:08 GMT

ST. CLOUD — With 81 Minnesota counties in an ongoing federal drought declaration, the Small Business Administration is rolling out financial resources for businesses affected by a lack of snow.

The administration will host a virtual webinar at 10 a.m. on Friday, March 15, for Minnesota businesses interested in applying for Economic Injury Disaster Loans up to $2 million, according to a news release.

If a loan is granted, businesses would not have to pay interest for the first year, with a maximum rate of 4% from the remainder of the loan period.

Previously, Gov. Tim Walz urged Minnesota business owners to apply for assistance as soon as possible.

As of Feb. 29, most areas in the state had received less than 50% of their normal snowfall totals, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

Speakers at the webinar for SBA are Don Jackson, John F. Camp and Debra C. Freeland, according to the organization's website

Applications and additional disaster assistance information can be found at lending.sba.gov. Applicants can also contact Small Business Development Centers or message the customer service center at disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.

To register for the webinar, visit https://tinyurl.com/3tp6wuef.

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DEED seeks applications for Child Care Economic Development grants

Pioneer Staff Report — Fri, 09 Feb 2024 15:52:36 GMT

BEMIDJI — The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development is seeking proposals from qualified organizations, including public entities, tribal nations, community service agencies or nonprofits to expand access to child care and meet the needs of working families.

This round of Child Care Economic Development grants will be the largest so far at $6.2 million, a release said. Grants will be available up to $600,000, which DEED expects to deliver to dozens of communities across Minnesota, impacting thousands of the new child care slots in communities in which access is needed most.

"Affordable, accessible child care allows Minnesotans to work and allows our economy to thrive," Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said in the release. "With the largest-ever round of child care grants, we're ramping up our efforts to increase child care slots and invest in our child care providers and middle class families across the state."

Greater Bemidji and the Northwest Minnesota Foundation previously received funding from DEED's child care grants in 2022.

Eligible use of grant funds includes child care business start-ups or expansion; training; facility modifications; direct subsidies or incentives to retain employees, or improvements required for licensing; and assistance with licensing and other regulatory requirements.

The deadline to submit proposals is 4 p.m. on Tuesday, March 12. Applicants should email their proposals to CCED.DEED@state.mn.us with the subject line "CCED24 - (Organization Name)." The proposal must be in a single PDF file that does not exceed 25 megabytes in file size.

Submissions should avoid using a large number of image files, photos and scanned documents in the proposal document as that greatly increases the file size. This does not include any required financial documents which should be submitted as a separate document.

For more information or to view the application for this round of Child Care Economic Development grants, visit mn.gov/deed/business/financing-business/deed-programs/child-care/.

With questions, email CCED.DEED@state.mn.us. Questions must be submitted by 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 28.

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Minnesota manufacturers are optimistic for 2024, new DEED report says

Nicole Ki / MPR News — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 13:12:00 GMT

ST. PAUL — A report by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development finds Minnesota manufacturing businesses are "cautiously optimistic" about 2024.

The report surveyed a random sample of 1,000 manufacturing establishments and received around 250 responses. DEED Economic analysis director Neal Young said there are some good indicators for optimism, but it's not across the board.

“Respondents indicated that they see modest expansion in profits, number of orders, productivity and production levels. There are, of course, some areas of concern, labor availability remains a concern,” Young said. “Although the outlook does show a little bit of improvement compared to their performance in 2023.”

Young says the report finds exports and employment levels are also expected to be slightly higher than last year.

He also says manufacturers have adjusted to deal with supply chain issues.

“Seventy-seven percent expect profits to be the same or higher in 2024. Seventy-one percent, expect number of orders to be higher in 2024,” he said. “Eighty-three percent expect production levels to be the same or higher in 2024. And 86 percent expect productivity to be the same or higher in 2024."

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Northwest Indian Community Development Center receives DEED funding

Pioneer Staff Report — Sat, 03 Feb 2024 17:00:00 GMT

BEMIDJI — The Northwest Indian Community Development Center recently received $275,000 in funding from the Minnesota DEED Pathways to Prosperity On-Ramp to Career Pathways grant program to provide career skills training.

DEED will award more than $13.6 million in workforce grants to help grow Minnesota's workforce and connect people to good jobs, a release said.

Pathways to Prosperity funding is expected to serve 2,779 Minnesotans through three programs focused on providing clear career pathways to people who face systemic barriers to employment: On-Ramp to Career Pathways, Bridge to Career Pathways and Individualized Training Pathways.

On-Ramp to Career Pathways grants allow recipient organizations to partner with a Minnesota Department of Education Adult Basic Education Consortia member to ensure that participants are receiving contextualized basic skills training and also support for English language learners.

"Helping Minnesotans get onto a career pathway benefits workers, businesses and families, which is why DEED is proud to partner with these Pathways to Prosperity grantees," said DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek in the release. "By investing in the success of Minnesotans, especially those who face systemic barriers to employment, we're helping build sustainable economic growth for everyone in our state."

Of the $3.2 million awarded in On-Ramp to Career Pathways funding, The Northwest Indian Community Development Center received $275,000.

The Northwest Indian Community Development Center is just one of 43 organizations across the state to receive funding through this round of grants. More information can be found on the News section of DEED’s website.

People interested in Pathways to Prosperity and other programs to help them prepare for jobs can contact a CareerForce location near them. CareerForce location and contact information can be found at CareerForceMN.com/locations or by calling (651) 259-7500.

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Minnesota launches fund to support businesses in providing accessibility to workers

Trent Abrego — Thu, 01 Feb 2024 20:00:00 GMT

ST. CLOUD — While it is still in its outreach phase, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development is rolling out the Employer Reasonable Accommodation Fund.

The central funds are for small to medium-sized employers who can request reimbursement for expenses relating to reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities.

Those can range from something as simple as duct tape, said Natasha Jerde, director of the State Services for the Blind.

Some common reasonable accommodations can also include wheelchair ramps, an interpreter and additional lighting. A complete list can be found at mn.gov/deed/business/financing-business/eraf/qualifications.jsp.

“An accommodation could almost be pretty much anything as long as it’s to support the person with a disability to do their job,” Jerde said.

The fund was included in the omnibus bill that was passed in 2023. Funds of $4 million for the two-year pilot program were appropriated in July and launched later in September. The funding ends on June 30, 2025.

So far, three businesses have seen their applications approved, Jerde said. Two of those were in the seven-county Twin Cities metropolitan area, and one was in Stevens County.

“We would love to see more greater Minnesota employers know about this program and apply,” Jerde said.

The fund focuses on businesses with less than 500 employees and grossing less than $5 million. While the department cannot process applications for larger businesses, they can provide technical assistance and guidance, Jerde said.

Origin story

Within the state, people with disabilities older than 16 make up about 12.9% of the population, according to a DEED blog post by Oriane Casale, assistant director of the labor market office. People with disabilities make up 5.8% of the state’s employed population, according to the blog post.

Roughly 158,000 people with disabilities are in the state’s labor force and are a critical part of the workforce, Casale wrote.

Workers with a disability have a slightly higher likelihood of working for themselves in a nonincorporated business, for a private nonprofit organization, or unpaid in a family business, according to DEED.

Casale wrote people of prime working age (25-54) with a disability are three times as likely to live in poverty compared to those without a disability. That disparity is higher than the national average, Casale wrote.

“This is a strong indicator of the need to provide more support and accommodations for and acceptance of people with disabilities in the workforce so that we can all share in the opportunities and prosperity of this state and nation,” Casale wrote in the blog post.

How to apply

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development outlines the process for applying for the funds on its website.

That starts with purchasing a reasonable accommodation, keeping documentation and completing the application form. When completed and submitted, the application goes to a two-person team who reviews it.

“Then, we can process the application after that and we try to turn around those payments within 30 days,” Jerde said.

In addition to processing reimbursements, technical assistance and consultation is available. For more information, visit mn.gov/deed/business/financing-business/eraf/process.jsp.

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Northwest Indian Community Development Center receives DEED workforce funding

Pioneer Staff Report — Sat, 27 Jan 2024 17:08:00 GMT

BEMIDJI — The Northwest Indian Community Development Center recently received $260,000 in combined funding from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development Women's Economic Security Act and Adult Support Services competitive grants.

DEED will award more than $1.4 million in Women's Economic Security Act Grants to provide services that encourage and assist women to enter high-wage, high-demand, nontraditional occupations including but not limited to those in the skilled trades and Information Technology occupations, a release said.

Adult Support Services Competitive Grants, totaling $950,000, fund new or enhanced services such as job training, employment preparation, internships, job assistance to parents, financial literacy and academic and behavioral interventions for adults. Grants under this program must focus on low-income communities, adults from families with a history of intergenerational poverty and communities of color.

"Creating opportunities for all Minnesotans to reach their full employment potential helps individuals and their families establish economic stability and build generational wealth, and it helps our entire state economy by utilizing our state's greatest economic resource: our workers," DEED Deputy Commissioner Marc Majors said in the release. "Encouraging women who face barriers to employment in finding fulfilling work in high-demand, high-wage, non-traditional occupations or industries will help individuals and families thrive. Providing support services to people to help them prepare for and find family-sustaining employment makes a positive difference for communities throughout the state."

Together, grantees expect to serve more than 830 Minnesotans through these programs.

Of the nearly $2.4 million awarded in funding, The Northwest Indian Community Development Center received $200,000 from the Women's Economic Security Act Grants and $60,000 from the Adult Support Services Grants.

The Northwest Indian Community Development Center is just one of 24 organizations across the state to receive funding through this round of grants. More information can be found on the News section of DEED’s website.

People interested in WESA, Adult Support Services and other programs to help them prepare for jobs can contact a CareerForce location near them. CareerForce location and contact information can be found at CareerForceMN.com/locations or by calling (651) 259-7500.

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Gov. Walz announces nearly $24 million for economic development in small Greater Minnesota cities

Pioneer Staff Report — Wed, 20 Sep 2023 16:22:00 GMT

Gov. Tim Walz has announced that 36 cities, townships and counties across Greater Minnesota will receive nearly $24 million in Small Cities Development Program grants, with Bagley, Fosston and Kelliher on the list of recipients.

The grants will be used for residential and commercial property rehabilitation, upgrading public facilities and other economic development projects.

Bagley will receive $345,000 for owner-occupied housing rehabilitation, Fosston will get $597,713 for the same purpose, and Kelliher will receive $417,300 for public facilities improvements.

“We are dedicated to making Minnesota the best state to live, work and raise a family — no matter where in the state you call home,” Gov. Walz said in a release announcing the funds. “These grants will boost our economy and help Greater Minnesota communities throughout the state grow and thrive.”

SCDP grants are awarded to Minnesota cities with fewer than 50,000 residents and townships and counties with populations under 200,000. The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development administers the grants, which are a part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant Program.

“SCDP grants provide Greater Minnesota communities with financing to address their need for safe and affordable housing and suitable living environments for persons of low to moderate incomes,” said DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek. “This funding supports projects that support community vitality and enhance conditions for additional economic growth.”

To be eligible for SCDP grants, projects must meet at least one of three federal objectives:

Benefit people of low and moderate incomes based on individual and area income standards. Eliminate slum and blight conditions. Address an urgent community need to eliminate a public health or safety threat.

Communities can apply for funds for one or more of the following types of projects:

Residential owner-occupied or rental property improvement projects to increase the quality of dwellings suited for individual or family occupancy. Examples include exterior repairs and replacement projects, insulation, HVAC, electrical, plumbing, lead paint remediation or accessibility modifications. Commercial property improvement projects for buildings occupied by retail and independent businesses. This can include façade improvements (e.g. awnings, exterior signs), building code issues and energy efficiency. Public facility improvement projects that serve neighborhoods or communities, such as community centers, streetscapes, or wastewater treatment projects. ]]>