(i) the potential impact the proposed project would have on economic development and employment opportunities in the community and the region; and

(ii) the existence of significant support for such activities from the local business community, local government and community organizations within the community, including the commitment of financial resources.

(i) provide grants to business improvement districts, local development corporations, other not-for-profit economic development organizations, and municipalities involved in commercial revitalization activities in central business districts or commercial strips, such activities to include architectural design studies and services and other redevelopment work in connection with the design and implementation of a plan for facade and other improvements to commercial strips and central business districts throughout New York State. Such grants may include monies available for individual property owners and/or tenants who agree to improve their property in accordance with an overall design plan, provided that, such individual property owners and/or tenants shall be required to match the amount of any grant awarded to them;

(ii) provide grants to local development corporations, business improvement districts and other not-for-profit organizations for studies, surveys or reports, and feasibility studies and preliminary planning studies to assess a particular site or sites or facility or facilities for any economic development purpose other than residential; and to identify development opportunities within established business improvement districts;

(iii) provide urban planning grants on a matching basis to cities, counties, or municipalities desiring to prepare and develop strategic development plans for a city, county, or municipality or a significant part thereof; and

(iv) provide grants to municipalities for studies, surveys, or reports and feasibility studies or preliminary planning studies to assess the economic viability and local credit needs of the community for the purposes of establishing a banking development district pursuant to section 96-d of the Banking Law.

(i) Such projects shall include projects related to the implementation of necessary construction and reconstruction projects identified or planned under grants received pursuant to subdivision (e) of this section.

(ii) Projects intended to be publicly-owned shall not be eligible for financial assistance in connection with the acquisition, construction or renovation of a facility or development hereunder unless such project is leased to a private enterprise.

(i) The corporation may act as developer in the acquisition, renovation, construction, leasing or sale of development projects, other than residential projects, authorized pursuant to the act in order to stimulate private sector investment within the affected community.

(ii) In acting as a developer, the corporation may borrow for purposes of this paragraph for approved projects in which the lender's recourse is solely to the assets of the project, and may make such arrangements and agreements with community-based organizations and local development corporations as may be required to carry out the purposes of this section.

(iii) Prior to developing any such project, the corporation shall secure a firm commitment from entities, independent of the corporation, for the purchase or lease of such project.

(iv) Projects authorized under this paragraph whether developed by the corporation or a private developer, must be located in either State-designated economic development zones or in highly distressed communities.

(v) The corporation, for purposes of this paragraph, shall only select projects that have project costs not to exceed $3 million of which the corporation's participation shall not exceed 60 percent of the total, for which there is a demonstrated demand within the particular community.

(i) the analysis of industrial sectors;

(ii) the provision of services, such as regulatory compliance, security and marketing, to industries;

(iii) productivity assistance to mature industries and small businesses, including but not limited to, high performance work organization and quality improvement programs;

(iv) labor-management cooperation specific to an area or industry;

(v) management services to industrial parks and incubator facilities;

(vi) the creation of business support networks, including flexible manufacturing networks composed of small businesses, surveys of existing businesses, and business sectors, the formation of quality networks, the targeting of firms or sectors with networking potential, analysis of network firms' production potential, group marketing, group purchasing, shared employee programs, and the establishment of regular lines of communication between such firms;

(vii) the establishment and staffing of network service centers for flexible manufacturing networks, combining business services, marketing/procurement assistance, and technology demonstrating/training centers, such centers to be industry managed and to maintain strong connections to labor unions, universities, and the services provided through the Industrial Effectiveness Program pursuant to article 7 of the Economic Development Law, local or Federal economic assistance programs;

(viii) export, marketing, procurement and subcontracting assistance to small and medium-sized industrial firms, including minority- and women-owned businesses, and to flexible manufacturing networks, and programs to assist regional and multi-county business marketing and procurement programs;

(ix) assistance to targeted incubator facilities to support new firms producing products and services for which there exists a stable demand but no local production;

(x) business planning, management assistance and counseling, and financial packaging assistance to small and medium-sized industrial firms, including minority- and women-owned businesses, flexible manufacturing networks, and new enterprise and small businesses, including the establishment of neighborhood-based business service centers designed to deliver comprehensive technical assistance to new and small businesses in specific communities and neighborhoods;

(xi) programs to assist economically distressed regions and communities to identify new business opportunities, plan for new enterprise development, and manage economic development projects;

(xii) innovative programs of public and private cooperation to foster new enterprise development and small business growth;

(xiii) programs to assist new enterprises and small businesses to identify and access public and private sources of equity, working capital and other types of financing;

(xiv) programs that improve the ability of small businesses to access State job training programs;

(xv) programs to assess the need for, or to implement total quality management training programs, employee retraining, and skills remediation and/or upgrading;

(xvi) employment exchange services such as job placement and job development;

(xvii) tourism matching grants to regions, as defined by the commissioner of economic development, to conduct tourism marketing, promotion and information activities;

(xviii) programs to assist small businesses in developing workplace policies, including but not limited to the design of employee benefit and assistance programs and developing child care programs; and

(xix) assistance to formulate and implement a business retention strategy developed by the corporation in cooperation with a local development corporation. Such assistance may include grants to local development corporations as well as funding for services and expenses for that purpose.

(i) the likelihood that State assistance will enable local not-for-profit organizations or other eligible organizations to provide services and activities not otherwise provided in the area served by the applicant;

(ii) the potential of the project or program to stimulate or enhance economic development in the area and to create or retain substantial, permanent private sector jobs;

(iii) the innovative nature of the proposed project or program in furtherance of community economic development; and

(iv) the demonstrated ability of the applicant to deliver the proposed assistance and services.

(i) projects located in a non-distressed area that will significantly contribute to the revitalization of an economically distressed area;

(ii) support for business development projects of women, members of minority groups, or dislocated workers;

(iii) assistance to small or medium-sized manufacturing firms which are seeking to modernize to remain competitive;

(iv) projects to diversify the economic base of a community heavily dependent on a single industry;

(v) projects that will prevent the loss or significant contraction of a company which is the primary employer in a community, or where loss of a company would have a major adverse impact on a community's overall economic condition;

(vi) projects involving expanding companies that will create substantial numbers of new, private sector jobs;

(vii) projects creating permanent private sector jobs for dislocated workers, public assistance recipients, or the long-term unemployed; or

(viii) projects that are an integral part of a community commercial revitalization strategy which contributes to the economic health of a community, including the provision of matching funds to newly formed business improvement districts pursuant to paragraph (8) of this subdivision.

(i) the initial deposit in each local administrative expenses trust fund account shall be in an amount to be determined by the corporation, but shall not exceed $25,000;

(ii) an entity designated to administer a local trust fund account may use the funds in its local administrative expenses trust fund account for expenses incurred by it in the start-up and administration of the financial and technical assistance programs it is required to administer under this section; and

(iii) the corporation shall also deposit into each local administrative expenses trust fund account:

(iv) funds deposited in an administrative expenses trust fund account shall be disbursed by the corporation to the entity that administers the corresponding local revolving loan trust fund account on a semiannual basis and shall be expended by the entity in accordance with a semiannual budget and any updates of same approved by the corporation.

(i) have represented on its board of directors, in such cases where an area to be served by a local trust fund account has located within its service area an economic development zone designated pursuant to section 960 of the General Municipal Law, one or more of the following:

(ii) have represented on its board of directors, selected local and community development corporations, industrial development agencies, and other not-for-profit entities that provide services to community businesses and, as one of their primary purposes, provide services and assistance to business enterprises located in central business districts or commercial strips;

(iii) have strong written commitments from any economic development zone capital corporation, local and community development corporation, industrial development agency, and other not-for-profit entities, if represented on its board, to assist the not-for-profit corporation in administering the local trust fund account, including the provision of business planning, loan application preparation, loan application analysis, management and other technical assistance as needed;

(iv) have staff, or have access to staff from organizations which participate in the administration of a designated local revolving loan trust fund with sufficient expertise to analyze applications for financial assistance, to regularly monitor financial assistance to clients, and to provide or arrange for the provision of management or technical assistance to clients;

(v) have an effective plan to market its services and market programs provided by the corporation and the Department of Economic Development; and

(vi) have established a loan committee composed of six or more persons experienced in business management, commercial lending or in the operation of a for-profit business (such committee shall review every application submitted by an eligible entity for financial assistance from the local trust fund account and shall determine the feasibility of the project proposed in the application and the likelihood of repayment of the requested financing and recommend to the governing body of the eligible entity such action as the loan committee deems appropriate).

(i) working capital loans, provided that the amount of the loan does not exceed $15,000 and the term of the loan does not exceed five years; and

(ii) loans for the acquisition and/or improvement of real property and for the acquisition of machinery and equipment, provided that the amount of the loan does not exceed $20,000 and the term of the loan does not exceed the useful life of the equipment or property.

(i) the corporation must secure certification from any entity administering such a program that the loans will be made to businesses through these agreements and meet the purposes and requirements set forth pursuant to this subdivision;

(ii) loan review committees are established by each such administering entity and that each entity designated under this paragraph have established a loan committee composed of six or more persons experienced in business management, commercial lending or in the operation of a for-profit business;

(iii) no other entity eligible under this subdivision which satisfactorily meets all requirements of this program has applied to meet the needs of an area proposed to be served under this paragraph; and

(iv) the corporation shall not expend any more than 25 percent of the amount appropriated for programs pursuant to this subdivision in any one fiscal year, or an amount appropriated specifically for the purpose of this paragraph.

(i) payments consisting of the repayment of the principal amount of a loan shall be deposited by the corporation in the local trust fund account from which the loan was made; and

(ii) the interest earned from the investment, by the corporation, of monies in each local revolving loan trust fund during and after the second year of a selected entity's administration of said account shall be deposited by the corporation into the corresponding local revolving loan trust fund account and used to provide the financial assistance to businesses located in commercial strips and central business districts.

(i) the applicant has a minimum equity interest of at least 10 percent in the project;

(ii) there is reasonable prospect of repayment;

(iii) the project will comply with applicable environmental rules and regulations;

(iv) the applicant has certified that it will not discriminate against any employee or any applicant for employment because of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, or age; and

(v) a staff member or a representative of the entity designated to administer the local revolving loan trust fund account acting in an official capacity has personally visited the project site of the applicant's place of business.

(i) projects that would result in the relocation of any business operation from one municipality within the State to another, provided, however, that such a project shall not be deemed ineligible if all municipalities from which such business will be relocated are notified in writing of the corporation's approval of such funding and the chief executive officers of the municipalities do not object to the corporation in writing within a period of 20 days of receipt of the notification;

(ii) refinancing any portion of the total project cost or other existing loans or debts of an applicant, except for the purpose of transferring to the employees or to other local interests ownership of a company that would otherwise depart from or cease or substantially reduce operations in the State; and

(iii) providing funds, directly or indirectly, for payment, distribution, or as a loan, to owners, partners or shareholders of the applicant enterprise, except as ordinary income for services rendered.

(i) the number of projects assisted, the amount and type of assistance provided and a description of the projects;

(ii) the number of jobs created or retained; and

(iii) such other information as the corporation may require.

(i) Each training program shall require each participating municipality to:

(ii) Requests from municipalities or consortia of municipalities for technical assistance under this paragraph shall be made directly to the corporation or through the regional offices of the Department of Economic Development.

(iii) Participating municipalities shall be required to provide matching funds in an amount at least equal to any funds provided by the corporation under this paragraph.

(iv) The corporation is authorized to enter into cooperative agreements with statewide and regional economic development organizations in New York State, acting as consultants, to conduct joint training programs to train and educate local officials and economic development practitioners pursuant to this paragraph. Any contract for services with such organizations shall not exceed the sum of $50,000 for the conduct of each training program.