New Jersey small businesses can now purchase personal protective equipment (PPE) through the Small and Micro Business PPE Access Program, a public-private partnership that provides automatic 10% discounts on PPE purchased through vendors approved by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA).
“Ensuring equitable and reliable access to affordable personal protective equipment is vital to helping businesses reopen and operate safely during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said NJEDA Chief Executive Officer Tim Sullivan.
“The PPE Access Program takes an innovative approach to solving this problem that will make it easy for small business owners to determine what protective equipment they need and to purchase that equipment at an affordable price,” Sullivan said.
Small businesses can purchase discounted PPE and apply for grants at https://covid19.nj.gov/ppeaccess.
The NJEDA has approved designated vendors for the launch of the program, including Boxed, an online shopping club that delivers household essentials in bulk, and Office Depot.
The designated vendors have created “microsites” where New Jersey-based businesses can register and purchase a curated selection of PPE products at a 10% discount. Links to these microsites are available at https://covid19.nj.gov/ppeaccess.
To help businesses understand what PPE they need to purchase, the NJEDA has also created an interactive Small Business PPE Planning Tool. Developed in consultation with the New Jersey Department of Health, this tool helps businesses understand PPE product requirements and estimate their organizational PPE needs. The online tool can be accessed at https://covid19.nj.gov/ppeaccess.
A second phase of the PPE Access Program will make $20.4 million available to subsidize small and micro businesses’ PPE purchases from designated vendors. Launching soon, this phase of the program will allow businesses with 100 or fewer full-time equivalent employees (FTEs) to receive grants equal to 25 percent of the cost of purchases made through designated vendors.
All eligible businesses can receive up to $400 in discounts, and businesses in one of the 715 census tracts that were eligible to be designated as Opportunity Zones can receive up to $500. These grants will be applied in addition to the 10% discount offered to all businesses, meaning small businesses will be able to save more than a third of the cost of their PPE purchases. Small businesses and organizations interested in receiving the additional 25% discounts can sign up for alerts on their availability at https://covid19.nj.gov/ppeaccess.
In addition to the PPE Access Program, the NJEDA administers a variety of grant, low-cost financing, and technical assistance programs for small and mid-sized businesses impacted by COVID-19. Comprehensive information about these programs and other State support for businesses impacted by the pandemic is available at https://cv.business.nj.gov.
