Berkshire Bank Provides Grant to MSBDC

PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Bank has announced that its foundation has provided a $1,500 grant to support the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center (MSBDC). The grant funds will go directly to support the MSBDC’s business-advisory services and other programs throughout Western Mass.

“Berkshire Bank and its foundation have been long-time supporters of the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center,” said Jason Rivera, vice president, Business Banking at Berkshire Bank. “We recognize the vital role the MSBDC plays in assisting small businesses throughout the Commonwealth.”

The MSBDC is a partnership program with the U.S. Small Business Administration and the state Office of Business Development under a cooperative agreement with the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst. It provides free, one-to-one, comprehensive, confidential services focusing on business growth, strategies and training, financing and loan assistance, government contracting, international trade, as well as strategic, marketing, and operational analysis. In addition, low-cost educational training programs are offered across the state, targeted to the needs of small business.

Last year, the MSBDC served 3,432 clients, providing more than 22,000 hours of counseling to help create and retain more than 3,000 jobs and secure more than $30 million in financing to assist small businesses throughout the Commonwealth. The MSBDC’s services are delivered through a statewide network of skilled professionals supported by a vast network of federal, state, educational, and private-sector partners including Berkshire Bank. The MSBDC has 50 outreach sites located throughout the Massachusetts, including offices in Pittsfield and Springfield.