York, PA – (December 17, 2025) – The BLOOM Business Empowerment Center, as part of the York County Economic Alliance, is pleased to announce $11,000 has been awarded to 8 woman-owned small businesses located and operating in York County.
The BLOOM Grant Program for Woman-owned Small Businesses in York County awarded grants up to $1,500 for projects proposed by businesses that would improve their productivity, expand their services, or grow their business operations. The selected finalists presented in a pitch competition at the December Women’s Business Center Organization Luncheon. Attendees of the luncheon voted in live time to determine funding awards.
The businesses awarded represent a variety of industries including food service, retail, health & wellness, and community-centered marketing. The recipients will be using these funds to upgrade their equipment, expand their marketing, launch an event space, join business groups to further their professional development and connections, and much more.
One of the grant recipients and BLOOM Class Graduate, Frances Leon, owner of La Papleta in the City of York says, “Receiving these funds will allow La Papleta to improve quality and efficiency with better equipment and food preparation tools, expand our menu with combos and specialty potatoes, increase production capacity with more opportunities for staff, improve the customer experience with comfortable seating and faster service, and increase our community impact of offering freshly prepared foods at an affordable price.”
Another grant recipient plans to use the award as part of a 4-phase commercialization plan. Sherry Welsh, owner of Queen Bee Cakery in Newberry Township, shares, “The grant-supported purchase of the commercial stove/oven is the key to unlocking the full potential of our existing investment, turning Queen Bee Cakery from a promising start-up into a fully scaled, efficient, and profitable local bakery.”
Additional grantees include:
- Get Creamed Soft Serve in Wrightsville Borough
- Heart of Hanover in Penn Township
- Mother Hemp in York City
- A Unified Mind in Windsor Township
- Sips Café in East Manchester Township
- Wren and Bluebird Boutique in Hanover Borough
Since its launch, the BLOOM Grant Program has provided 296 small businesses in York County with over $670,000 in micro-grants, representing a workforce of over 700. Visit www.bloomyork.org for information on more educational, capital, and connection opportunities launching in 2026.
