Bill Text: NY S01248 | 2013-2014 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Creates the niche market assistance projects for small businesses to identify and develop niche markets for their products in competitive environments.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-01-08 - REFERRED TO CORPORATIONS, AUTHORITIES AND COMMISSIONS [S01248 Detail]
Download: New_York-2013-S01248-Introduced.html
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K ________________________________________________________________________ 1248 2013-2014 Regular Sessions I N S E N A T E (PREFILED) January 9, 2013 ___________ Introduced by Sens. PERKINS, ESPAILLAT -- read twice and ordered print- ed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions AN ACT to amend the New York state urban development corporation act, in relation to creating niche market assistance projects to promote economic development THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM- BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: 1 Section 1. Statement of legislative intent. Small manufacturing enter- 2 prises are responsible for an estimated twenty-eight to forty percent of 3 employment in the manufacturing sector. They tend to be more effective 4 at job creation and job replacement, more innovative in the development 5 of products and process improvements, more flexible, and thus more 6 competitive, in terms of the ability to produce small quantities. All of 7 these factors help to explain the shift to smaller and average sized 8 plants and the national trend toward more of the total production of 9 goods coming from small manufacturers. 10 Small manufacturing enterprises, often owned by minorities and new 11 immigrants, have been growing. Leading this expansion in New York are 12 specialty and ethnic food manufacturers, which have grown by more than 13 eight percent over the past year. Other evidence suggests that there is 14 similar growth in construction; specialty apparel for niche markets and 15 other design-based manufacturing industries such as luxury consumer 16 goods like jewelry; medical instruments; suppliers to service indus- 17 tries; and companies serving local markets, such as makers of food 18 products or suppliers of construction materials. 19 Often, small manufacturers can not only survive, but grow, if they can 20 identify and develop niche markets - targeted markets composed of indi- 21 viduals and businesses that have similar interests and needs, which can 22 be readily identified, and that can be easily targeted and reached, or a EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD03583-01-3 S. 1248 2 1 group of potential customers who share common characteristics making 2 them especially receptive to the company's product, service, or opportu- 3 nity. 4 S 2. Section 1 of chapter 174 of the laws of 1968, constituting the 5 New York state urban development corporation act, is amended by adding a 6 new section 16-v to read as follows: 7 S 16-V. NICHE MARKET ASSISTANCE PROJECTS. 1. THE CORPORATION IS HEREBY 8 AUTHORIZED TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO NICHE MARKET ASSISTANCE PROJECTS 9 DESIGNED TO ENCOURAGE AND ASSIST SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED MANUFACTURING OR 10 FOOD PROCESSING BUSINESSES WITH FEWER THAN TWO HUNDRED FIFTY EMPLOYEES 11 TO IDENTIFY AND DEVELOP NICHE MARKETS FOR THEIR PRODUCTS. 12 2. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, "NICHE MARKET" SHALL MEAN A 13 TARGETED MARKET COMPOSED OF INDIVIDUALS AND BUSINESSES THAT HAVE SIMILAR 14 INTERESTS AND NEEDS, WHICH CAN BE READILY IDENTIFIED AND REACHED, OR 15 GROUP OF POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS WHO SHARE COMMON CHARACTERISTICS MAKING 16 THEM ESPECIALLY RECEPTIVE TO THE COMPANY'S PRODUCT, SERVICE OR OPPORTU- 17 NITY. 18 3. THE CORPORATION SHALL ACTIVELY SEEK TO IDENTIFY ENTITIES AND 19 DISSEMINATE INFORMATION TO SUCH ENTITIES WHICH MAY BE ELIGIBLE TO 20 RECEIVE ASSISTANCE PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION AND SHALL MAKE AWARDS, 21 SUBJECT TO AVAILABLE APPROPRIATIONS, FOR NICHE MARKETING ASSISTANCE 22 PROJECTS ON A COMPETITIVE BASIS TO SUCH ENTITIES. 23 (A) ENTITIES ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR FUNDING FOR A NICHE MARKET ASSIST- 24 ANCE PROJECT SHALL INCLUDE NOT-FOR-PROFIT CORPORATIONS, LOCAL DEVELOP- 25 MENT CORPORATIONS, TRADE ASSOCIATIONS, EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, TECH- 26 NOLOGY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO SECTION 3102-D 27 OF THE PUBLIC AUTHORITIES LAW WHICH OPERATE MANUFACTURING EXTENSION 28 PROGRAMS, AND OTHER NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS WHICH PROMOTE ECONOMIC 29 DEVELOPMENT. 30 (B) APPLICANTS SHALL BE REQUIRED TO DEMONSTRATE: 31 (I) THEIR ABILITY TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES PROPOSED; 32 (II) THE POTENTIAL FOR MANUFACTURING OR FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES IN 33 THEIR AREA OF SERVICE TO DEVELOP NICHE MARKETS; 34 (III) THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE SERVICES TO BE FUNDED WOULD BECOME 35 SELF-SUSTAINING; 36 (IV) THE PARTICIPATION OF LOCAL AND REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 37 ORGANIZATIONS; AND 38 (V) TO PROVIDE A PROGRAM BUDGET, INCLUDING MATCHING FUNDS, IN-KIND AND 39 OTHERWISE, TO BE PROVIDED BY THE APPLICANT. 40 (C) A PROJECT ELIGIBLE TO BE A NICHE MARKET ASSISTANCE PROJECT MAY 41 INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO, RESEARCH, MARKET ANALYSIS, MARKETING 42 ASSISTANCE, AND IDENTIFYING SOURCES OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO ENTER 43 INTO NEW MARKETS. 44 4. NO SINGLE GRANT FOR A NICHE MARKET ASSISTANCE PROJECT SHALL EXCEED 45 TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS. 46 S 3. This act shall take effect immediately.