Tim Sullivan calls it “huge” and “innovative” — a solution that goes beyond simply subsidizing personal protective equipment and small businesses.
It’s why Sullivan, the CEO of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, is determined to make sure all small business owners know about the Small and Micro Business PPE Access Program the EDA launched last week. And why the EDA will launch a marketing campaign to bring awareness.
The program enables small business owners to get a discount on the necessary — and now mandated — PPE items (masks, sanitizers, etc.) from designated vendors who have purchased the PPE in bulk and are passing along the savings in the form of a 10% discount.
For more details on the program, click here and here.
The EDA also will have a grant program, which will enable small businesses to potentially get an additional $400 discount. (Click here for more details on the grant program.)
But they have to know about it. That’s why the EDA is partnering with a handful of marketing partners — Tara Dowdell Group, 360 Marketing and PR, Brand Enchanting Media, and The Setroc Group, in partnership with Park Circle Technologies — to get the word out.
“The next step in rolling out the Small and Micro Business PPE Access Program will be marketing the program in a manner that ensures the smallest of businesses and those most in need of these resources are aware of the benefits of purchasing PPE supplies through the program,” Sullivan told ROI-NJ.
The marketing effort will include extensive digital, broadcast and local media advertising, complemented by intentional social media engagement. It also includes outreach through a network of leading marketing firms that specialize in marketing to diverse, underserved communities.
“Small businesses owners are facing unthinkable struggles, and our hope is to alleviate the challenge of finding affordable, reliable PPE resources so they can focus on getting back on their feet,” Sullivan said.
The marketing program is intentional in another way: All of the firms selected are both small business and women-, minority- or veteran-owned. The firms were selected to support these outreach efforts based on their established connections to diverse communities across the state, EDA officials said.
Links to the various EDA programs are available here.
