Economic and Business Resiliency Newsletter

*August 12, 2022*






In This Issue...
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* Commerce Grants [ #commercegrants ]
* WFTC Program [ #WFTCProgram ]
*

COVID-19 Update [ #COVID ]




* Governor's Employer Awards Program [ #GCDEAwards ]
* SBRR Workshops [ #SBRR ]



* Tips & Reminders [ #tips ]
* Newsletter Team [ #Newsletter-Team ]
* Feedback [ #feedback ]





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Dept. of Health
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COVID-19 case numbers as of? 11:59 pm on August 11, 2022:

* Confirmed Cases: 1,756,800
* COVID-19 Deaths:? 13,637

Visit the COVID-19 Data Dashboard for the most recent number of cases by county, demographics, and more.

*COVID-19 Data Dashboard* [ [link removed] ]


*Updated COVID-19 guidance for K-12 schools & child care*

The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) has released its updated COVID-19?guidance for K-12 schools and child care.


* The guidance takes lessons learned from the first two and a half years of the pandemic, and outlines both required and recommended measures for the 2022-23 school year to help reduce COVID-19 transmission in school and child care settings.
* Schools, child care providers, and families can expect limited changes focused on clarifying and simplifying the guidance.?

*Review the Updated Guidance * [ [link removed] ]






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Dept. of Social & Health Services
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Pandemic food assistance on its way for Washington children

Thanks to federal COVID-19 relief funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, many families in Washington state will soon have another round of food assistance available to them to help buy groceries while children are home during the summer.


* Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) food benefits are available to families with young children who are eligible for Basic Food benefits as well as school-aged children who are eligible for free or reduced-price school meal programs.
* P-EBT benefits can be used to shop at any grocery store, farmers market or food retailer that accepts EBT card payments.?

*Learn More* [ [link removed] ]






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Department of Commerce
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New Grant Application Opens August 17th!

"$75 million available to small businesses and nonprofits"

Another round of state pandemic relief grants is on the way, with focus on - but not limited to - the arts, heritage and science sectors, and businesses that rely on economic activity from in person conventions and events hosted in Washington State.?

Applications for the *Working Washington Grants: Round 5* and new *Convention Center Grants* programs open *Wednesday Aug. 17.?*

The portal has guidelines and information to help applicants get ready to submit applications, including a schedule of free virtual application information sessions throughout the month of August.

*Learn More* [ [link removed] ]






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Dept. of Revenue?
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The Working Families Tax Credit website is officially live!

In preparation for the launch of the Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC) program in 2023, DOR has launched new?website dedicated to all things WFTC. This site will be the agency?s portal for dispersing updates and includes information for:


* *Applicants*?? Use our Eligibility Checker [ [link removed] ] to see if you qualify, sign up for updates, and learn more in our FAQ?s. Be sure to visit our website again in February 2023 to apply for your Working Families Tax Credit refund when the program goes live.
* *Tax Preparers*?? Sign up to receive updates about the program.
* *Community Partners*?? Download social media graphics, flyers, presentations, and other materials to help spread the word.

We want to hear from you! As you explore the new site let us know if you?ve encountered problems or found things we can improve. Use the?online survey [ [link removed] ]?to share your feedback.

*Explore the New Website* [ [link removed] ]






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Employment Security Dept.
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Nominations Now Open!

"Honoring Employers?Who Hire Workers With Disabilities"

The 30th Annual Governor's Employer Awards Program honors and celebrates the contributions Washington?s employers make to recruit, hire and advance workers with disabilities.??

Nominate your inclusive Employer, Service Provider, or disability Advocate for the GCDE Employer Awards!

The deadline for submitting nominations is Aug. 25, 2022.

Distribute our?2022 Brochure [ [link removed] ]

*Nomination Packet* [ [link removed] ]

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Office for Regulatory Innovation & Assistance
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Small Business Requirements & Resources (SBRR)

"Free Workshops"

SBRR workshops are provided by members of the?Washington State Small Business Liaison Team (SBLT).? [ [link removed] ]??

"Start Your Business in WA" is a free, one-hour webinar for aspiring entrepreneurs or newly-started businesses to gain valuable information about business registration and licensing, other regulatory requirements, and resources for further assistance.?


* Next live webinar:? Wednesday, August 17th, 12:00 PM -?Register Here [ [link removed] ]

"Grow Your Business in WA webinar is focused on government-supported opportunities and assistance, and regulatory impacts of growth to factor in your planning."


* Available as a pre-recorded video - Watch Here [ [link removed] ]





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Tips & Reminders
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2022 Small Business Fair will be a Hybrid Event on Sept. 24th

Join the annual Washington State Biz Fair ?? for both new and existing small business owners. Biz Fair is the longest running all-government and non-profit-run small business fair in our state.

The purpose of the fair is to learn, connect and network, in a non-sales environment, that small business owners need. The no-sales policy sets the tone for the fair to be about business education and free resources.

Walk away with more knowledge to help you start or positively grow your business!

*Learn More* [ [link removed] ]


Small Business Training Opportunities

* Learn from the experts at SCORE:? August Workshops [ [link removed] ]
* On-demand training from WSBDC:? Comprehensive Business Training [ [link removed] ]
* Resources for women-owned businesses at WCWB:? Explore Programs [ [link removed] ]
* Dept. of Labor & Industries:? Workshops, Events & Training [ [link removed] ]
* Office of Minority & Women Business Enterprises:? Event Calendar [ [link removed] ]
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Newsletter Team
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This newsletter is a collaborative effort by the following state agencies:


* The Governor?s Office [ [link removed] ]
* Department of Commerce [ [link removed] ]
* Employment Security Department [ [link removed] ]
* Department of Labor & Industries [ [link removed] ]
* Secretary of State?s Office [ [link removed] ]
* Department of Revenue [ [link removed] ]
* Emergency Management Division of the Military Department [ [link removed] ]

*Our mission:*


* Preserve the connection to businesses that have been established as a resource for future emergencies.
* Make it easier for businesses to access the state services they need.

We intend to provide a newsletter?that caters to businesses by providing multi-agency content related to doing business in WA. For the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be a special focus on the impacts the pandemic has on businesses.? This Newsletter is not intended to replace agency newsletters, instead, it will aggregate cross-agency business-related information.

"This Newsletter is published by the Governor's Office for Regulatory Innovation and Assistance [ [link removed] ] (ORIA). Content contributors are limited to state agencies we do not accept content from other sources."

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Feedback

Please let us know how we did with this issue of the newsletter.?

We appreciate your feedback!






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