Business leaders are pushing to support black businesses’ recovery from the pandemic

With new investments, business leaders are trying to make sure black-owned businesses in Massachusetts aren’t left behind in the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Why is it important? The federal government is pouring billions into states to reduce inflation, boost public infrastructure, and solve technology manufacturing problems. But business leaders worry black owners won’t see any of that money.

• Many have been cut off from pandemic relief funds, and small businesses lack the administrative resources to navigate the often complicated application processes for funding and job opportunities.

what’s happening: The Black Economic Council of Massachusetts is investing $750,000 from the Rockefeller Foundation in small grants, administrative resources and bid assistance, said President Nicole Obi. The foundation will send BECMA $250,000 annually until 2025.

• Obi said Rockefeller funding supports business owners with short-term setbacks and helps those companies grow and compete for federal grants and contracts so they don’t get left behind.

What they say: “It wasn’t that long ago … we can look back two years ago and the money to help revive and restore the economy was not going into the hands of the people who needed it the most,” Obi told Axios. .

BECMA is not the only group. Seeking to close gaps in black-owned businesses. U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley secured $643,000 in federal funding for New England African Community Economic Development to support Black and African American immigrant-run businesses affected by the pandemic.

• Boston City Councilwoman Tania Fernandez Anderson said yesterday that she has allocated millions in local America’s Rescue Plan funds and other funds to boost small businesses.

Present: BECMA will use the money in part through its Office Assistance Program, which helps small businesses with accounting, legal documents, marketing and other paperwork they are often not equipped to handle. The program offers grants of up to $7,500, Obi says.

• The funding will support BECMA’s new Supplier Advisory Council to make the bidding process for government projects more accessible to small and black-owned businesses.