Earlier this month, USDA Rural Development-Puerto Rico held an Intermediary Relending Program Roundtable meeting for area stakeholders.
Our staff provided a brief overview of the program followed by a very dynamic question and answer session. The most significant issues discussed were the current barriers to access capital for small businesses and the need to complement their services offerings through common inter-organizational effort.
The main objective of the meeting was to gather all main Intermediary Relending organizations and share their current best practices and current lending challenges. The meeting also proved to be an excellent opportunity to make services networking, exchange organizational information and identify new funding opportunities.
The feedback from the participants after the meeting showed satisfaction with the initiative. Participants expressed their interest in participating in upcoming meetings and begin working together in order to maximize their resources to reach more rural communities in Puerto Rico.
Partners who assisted and contributed to the roundtable included representatives from Ceiba Housing and Community Development, Asociación de Comerciantes Unidos de Camuy, COFECC, Small Business and Technology Development Center, Pathstone, P.E.C.E.S., Programa de Apoyo y Enlace Comunitario, Minority Business Enterprise Center and Puerto Rico Business Development Corporation.
To find out more about how USDA business development programs can support your rural business, click here.
