BEDFORD, Ind. (May 18, 2020) – Radius Indiana received $20,000 in Duke Energy Foundation grants this week, which are designated for small business assistance in four of the economic development group’s eight counties.The award is part of $200,000 in Duke Energy Foundation grants given to Indiana economic development organizations across the state offering crisis relief to small businesses.

Recipients include Crawford, Greene, Martin and Orange, which will each receive $5,000. Each county’s local economic development organization will then determine which local small businesses will receive assistance through an application process and needs assessment.

“We are grateful for companies like Duke Energy that are helping small businesses during this very uncertain time,” said Radius Indiana President and CEO Jeff Quyle. “Part of our mission here at Radius is to support businesses in our region; and right now we are especially concerned about the wellbeing of our established, small businesses, and we will continue to look for ways to help ensure that they can sustain operations.”

Two additional Radius counties, Lawrence and Washington, have also been selected as direct recipients of Duke Energy grants. The local economic development organizations in those counties were also awarded $5,000, and will identify Duke Energy business customers in need of the funds.

“These are challenging times, and the COVID-19 crisis has been particularly difficult for small companies,” said Duke Energy Indiana President Stan Pinegar. “These grants will support those businesses that are the backbone of the Hoosier communities we serve statewide.

In April, Radius worked with Crawford and Greene counties to set up local, Rapid Relief Funds to aid small businesses. The dollar-for-dollar match program provided small, low-interest loans ranging from $2,500 to $5,000 to help businesses address immediate needs and help offset losses caused by COVID-19.

Small businesses in the region in need of assistance should contact their local economic development office. Businesses can also visit   radiusindiana.com/resources/#covid-19 for information on additional assistance programs and COVID-19 information.

For more information about Duke Energy grants visit news.duke-energy.com/releases.

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Radius Indiana: Radius Indiana is a regional economic development partnership representing eight counties in Southern Indiana: Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Greene, Lawrence, Martin, Orange, and Washington. Formed in 2009, Radius Indiana also serves as a point of contact in Indiana for Naval Support Activity Crane and leads regional collaboration by leveraging the diverse assets of Southwest Central Indiana to drive attraction, retention and expansion of business, thereby increasing employment and investment opportunities and quality of life within the region.