For the 21st consecutive year UNI assists businesses in all 99 counties

For the 21st consecutive year UNI assists businesses in all 99 counties

The University of Northern Iowa was there to help this year as Iowa businesses worked hard to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

UNI’s Business and Community Services (BCS) programs helped the state determine the best use of state business relief programs through a statewide business impact survey, provided businesses with online resources and webinars to navigate the pandemic, and utilized their 3D-printing capabilities to manufacture personal protective gear and specialized medical equipment.

“It has been a challenging year for Iowa business,” said BCS Executive Director Randy Pilkington. “But BCS programs were able to quickly pivot their client services to address the new challenges faced by Iowa businesses as they weathered this unprecedented storm.”

While the pandemic caused a loss of nearly one-third of the fiscal year for in-person interactions with BCS clients, the total number of clients was only down slightly thanks to online technology and their flexibility to shift programming quickly. For 21 consecutive years, UNI’s BCS had active economic development projects in all 99 Iowa counties and this year had a record number of students engaged in outreach programs.

To learn more about BCS and the resources available to the economic community, visit www.bcs.uni.edu. Their fiscal year 2020 annual economic development report can be found here.