BROOKFIELD, Wis.–Fiserv said it is offering support to minority-owned small businesses in the National Capital Region, many of which were adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The company said the effort is part of the Fiserv Back2Business program, a $50 million initiative to provide financial grants, community support and critical resources, including complimentary consulting and leading technology solutions such as the Clover point-of-sale platform, to minority-owned small businesses.
According to Fiserv, eligible businesses located in the following counties and independent cities may apply for a Back2Business grant to assist with payroll, rent or lease payments, technology or equipment purchases, or premise redesign:
Counties
- Virginia: Stafford, Prince William, Loudoun, Fairfax, Arlington
- Maryland: Montgomery, Prince George's, Anne Arundel, Howard
Independent Cities
- Virginia: Fredericksburg, Manassas, Manassas Park, Fairfax, Alexandria
- Maryland: Baltimore
- Washington, D.C.
Fiserv said businesses must have revenues of less than $1 million annually, be founded prior to January 1, 2020 and have fewer than 10 employees. Applications will be accepted at aeoworks.org/fiserv/.
Earlier this week, Fiserv presented $10,000 Back2Business grants to three D.C.-area merchants, each of which will be recognized during the 2021 Congressional Baseball Game.
The Grant Recipients
Those receiving grants included:
- Dawn Tucker of Lord and Tucker Management Consultants, LLC, a firm offering consulting and training for individuals and organizations in entrepreneurship, federal government contracting, collegiate professional development, and management.
- Raul Lucero of Los Amigos Latin Market, a small grocery store offering Latin American products and standard essentials. The grant will be presented by Guillermo Cisneros Finck, senior vice president and head of Juntos, an Employee Resource Group within Fiserv that seeks to unite, empower and support Hispanic and Latino associates and their allies throughout the company.
- Erinn Roth of Mrs. Jo’s Petite Eats, specializes in made-from-scratch, small batch Southern inspired desserts with a French influence. The establishment also creates heavy and light hors d’oeuvres tables for corporate and private catering and has catered at national conventions, trade shows, and wine and food festivals as well as private and corporate functions. Roth’s grant will be presented by the Honorable Jason Crow, Member of Congress for Colorado’s Sixth Congressional District.
‘Backbone of Communities’
“Small businesses are the backbone of our communities and the lifeblood of our economies, and nowhere is that better understood than in our nation’s capital,” said Neil Wilcox, head of Corporate Social Responsibility at Fiserv. “Fiserv is committed to providing the resources that small business owners need as they continue to regain their footing during these challenging times.”
In addition to the Washington, D.C., area, Fiserv said it has sponsored the Back2Business program in multiple cities including New York, Milwaukee, Miami, Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, Tulsa, Oklahoma and Oakland, California. To date, Fiserv has presented more than 1,000 grants to small businesses through the program.