US Commerce Dept. grants $600,000 to entrepreneurs in northwest PR

Angelique Sina, president & founder of Friends of Puerto Rico (friendsofpuertorico.org)z

By THE STAR STAFF

Friends of Puerto Rico on Wednesday announced the receipt of a $600,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA).

The transformative funding will enable the launch of the RESPOND PR program, which is designed to support small businesses and entrepreneurs in northwestern Puerto Rico. The EDA grant, matched with $150,000 in local funding, will establish a technical assistance program that will provide education, training and access to funding.

The RESPOND PR program will focus on fostering resilience, innovation and economic growth, primarily in the underserved northwest region of Puerto Rico, including the municipalities of Las Marías and San Sebastián, through the Aguadilla Business Center.

“This grant represents a lifeline for small business owners and entrepreneurs,” said Angelique Sina, president of Friends of Puerto Rico. “It will not only help retain and create better-paying jobs, but it will also provide the tools and resources necessary to ensure long-term sustainability and economic resilience.”

Gov. Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia added that the grant will help small businesses in the northwest “access the resources they need to recover and continue contributing to the economic vitality of their communities and Puerto Rico.”

“The entrepreneurial class is the backbone of our economy and has faced immense challenges in the wake of Hurricane Fiona and other events,” he said.

Resident Commissioner and Governor-elect Jenniffer González Colón noted that the grant “will be instrumental in helping Friends of Puerto Rico continue to empower other small businesses in Aguadilla and throughout the region …”