$10K Grant Helps Bed-Stuy Businesses With Coronavirus Restart

BED-STUY, BROOKLYN — Three Bed-Stuy small businesses just got a $10,000 boost in their fight to rebound from the coronavirus crisis.

A new "Back2Business" program launched by a finance company this week will bring $10 million to small businesses struggling because of the coronavirus, specifically minority-owned businesses who weren't able to get help anywhere else.

That program, launched by Fiserv, rolled out Thursday with grants for Brown Butter Craft Bar and Kitchen on Tompkins Avenue, Fulton Street's Daddy Green's Pizza and Brooklyn Tea on Nostrand Avenue.

“The pandemic has had a devastating impact on small businesses across the country, and there is growing awareness of both the disproportionate impact of the pandemic and systemic hurdles faced by minority-owned businesses," Fiserv CEO Frank Bisignano said.

"Fiserv has proudly served millions of small businesses with technology and payment solutions for more than 30 years, and we are committed to helping this critical segment of our economy emerge stronger."

The grant comes after nearly a third of women and minority-owned businesses said they were unlikely to survive the next 30 days given their current cash on hand, according to a New York City Comptroller survey.

Many of those businesses were unsuccessful in their applications for government aid after the coronavirus crisis, according to Fiserv.

“After six months of economic devastation, Brooklyn’s small businesses, especially in communities of color, urgently need help toward recovery,” Randy Peers, Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce president, said. “The generous Fiserv Back2Business grant program provides businesses with vital cash, online ordering technology and contactless point of sale equipment that can help businesses get back on their feet, improve operations, and protect staff and customers’ health and safety.”

On top of the money, the Back2Business program includes business coaching, new technology from Fiserv's Clover platform and connections to local financial institutions.

The program will soon expand to the rest of the five boroughs and other cities across the country, according to Fiserv.

Businesses interested in applying for a Back2Business grant from Fiserv can apply at clover.com/grant.