Citizens Bank Awards Grants to 30 ‘Small Business Community Champions’ for Creating Jobs and Fostering Economic Growth

Rhea-AI Summary

Citizens Bank has announced the winners of its Fifth Annual Small Business Community Champion Awards, highlighting 30 small businesses from a record pool of nearly 11,000 entries. Each winner receives a $10,000 prize to support their initiatives aimed at community enrichment. This year, the program expanded to 14 states and the District of Columbia, awarding ten prizes each for women-owned and minority-owned businesses. Citizens aims to promote economic vitality and small business success in its growing footprint.

Positive

• Increased participation in the Small Business Community Champion program, nearly tripling from last year.
• Expansion of the awards to 14 states and the District of Columbia, showcasing a broader geographic outreach.

Negative

• None.

PROVIDENCE, R.I.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Citizens Bank today announced its Fifth Annual Small Business Community Champion Award winners, drawn from nearly 11,000 entries that described how businesses would utilize the grants to further build their enterprise, bring valuable products and services to customers and strengthen the communities in which they operate. Drawing from a pool of nearly three times the size of the prior year, this year’s program includes the 14 states and the District of Columbia in Citizens’ expanded footprint and will again provide ten awards each for women-owned and minority-owned businesses, in addition to the ten awards for other small businesses.

The Small Business Community Champion Contest is intended to recognize for-profit businesses with revenue sizes less than $3M with at least five full time employees.

For 2022, 30 small business owners from across Citizens’ footprint were each awarded a $10,000 prize in recognition of their efforts toward strengthening their communities. The 2022 Citizens Bank Small Business Community Champion Award winners are:

• A.B.A Behavioral Consulting, Manchester, NH
• Alphabet Soup Inc., North Kingstown, RI
• BloomMore Services, LLC, Willowick, OH
• Bundled, LLC, Commerce Township, MI
• David M Hall Associates, Doylestown, PA
• Drone City LLC, Haverstraw, NY
• Emergency Pizza, Buffalo, NY
• Eric's RX Shoppe, Horsham, PA
• Fortivue, LLC, Stamford, CT
• Harvey Woods, LLC, Stratham, NH
• High Expectations, LLC, Malden, MA
• Imagine Center, LLC, Detroit, MI
• Incredible Kids Learning Center, Inc., Philadelphia, PA
• Jenks Park Pediatrics Inc., Central Falls, RI
• Living Become, LLC, Lexington, MA
• Magnus Robotics, Harrisburg, PA
• Manuscritos Publishing, Manchester, CT
• Micah Specialty Foods, Mayfield Heights, OH
• Pearls Serenity House, McKeesport, PA
• Philadelphia Language Services, Philadelphia, PA
• Ritnid Consulting, LLC, Pittsburgh, PA
• Rose Computer Technology Services, Williston, VT
• Tactic USA Inc., Mentor, OH
• Tambisa Investments, LLC, Columbus, OH
• The Birthing Hut, Pittsburgh, PA
• Timbuk2 Academy, LLC, Trenton, NJ
• UInclude, Philadelphia, PA
• Vital Start Health Inc., Philadelphia, PA
• Whooplah, LLC, N. Smithfield, RI
• Women Beyond Measures, Middletown, CT

“Participation in this year’s Small Business Champion program was nearly triple that of last year, which is especially gratifying because it underscores how businesses are critically engaged with us and more important, their respective communities,” said Sarah Lindstrom, Head of Business Banking, Citizens. “We’re pleased this year to again offer the opportunity to support and strengthen small business success, as well as economic vitality in the expanded Citizens geography, and congratulate all the winners on their achievements.”

For more information about the program, the winners and their proposed initiatives, please visit https://www.citizensbank.com/small-business/small-business-community-champion-2022.aspx for 2022 winners.

About Citizens Financial Group, Inc.

Citizens Financial Group, Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest financial institutions, with $192.1 billion in assets as of March 31, 2022. Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, Citizens offers a broad range of retail and commercial banking products and services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, large corporations and institutions. Citizens helps its customers reach their potential by listening to them and by understanding their needs in order to offer tailored advice, ideas and solutions. In Consumer Banking, Citizens provides an integrated experience that includes mobile and online banking, a full-service customer contact center and the convenience of approximately 3,300 ATMs and approximately 1,200 branches in 14 states and the District of Columbia. Consumer Banking products and services include a full range of banking, lending, savings, wealth management and small business offerings. In Commercial Banking, Citizens offers a broad complement of financial products and solutions, including lending and leasing, deposit and treasury management services, foreign exchange, interest rate and commodity risk management solutions, as well as loan syndication, corporate finance, merger and acquisition, and debt and equity capital markets capabilities. More information is available at www.citizensbank.com or visit us on Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220505005082/en/

Steve Brownell

Steve.Brownell@citizensbank.com

Source: Citizens Financial Group, Inc.

FAQ

What are the Small Business Community Champion Awards by Citizens Bank?

The Small Business Community Champion Awards recognize small businesses with less than $3M in revenue, with ten awards each for women-owned and minority-owned businesses, plus ten for other small enterprises.

How many entries were submitted for the Small Business Community Champion Awards in 2022?

Nearly 11,000 entries were submitted for the 2022 Small Business Community Champion Awards.

What amount do the award winners receive?

Each award winner receives a $10,000 prize to support their business initiatives.

How did the Small Business Community Champion program change in 2022?

In 2022, the program expanded to include 14 states and the District of Columbia, significantly increasing participation and outreach.

What is the revenue limit for businesses participating in the Small Business Community Champion Awards?

Participating businesses must have revenue sizes of less than $3M and at least five full-time employees.