VT H0332

Creates the Small Business Technical Assistance Exchange, operated by regional development corporations, to provide professional and technical assistance to small- and mid-sized Vermont businesses through Business Navigators, community partnerships, and grants to private providers

Grants are capped at $5,000 per business for services including financial management, digital strategies, architecture, manufacturing consulting, technology, and legal assistance

Eligible businesses must be for-profit entities located in Vermont with at least $5,000 in average annual revenue; owners with income above the federal labor market area average must provide a 50% cost match

Requires targeted outreach to rural businesses and those owned by mature workers, youth, individuals with disabilities, justice-involved individuals, BIPOC Vermonters, New Americans, and other marginalized populations

Appropriates $1,250,000 from the General Fund in FY2026 to the Agency of Commerce and Community Development for the program, effective July 1, 2025