Small businesses across Long Island were recently presented with the Business First Awards from PSEG Long Island, the first group of business owners to receive the new award honoring their efforts to help downtown shopping areas flourish.

The Syosset Woodbury Jericho Chamber of Commerce, Copiague Chamber of Commerce, Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce, Port Washington Business Improvement District, Greater New Hyde Park Chamber of Commerce, Lindenhurst Business Improvement District and Plado Hospitality in Glen Cove were some of the organizations that received the award.

The Business First Award comes eight years after PSEG established its Business First financial incentive, a grant program that distributed about $3.5 million across hundreds of small businesses throughout Long Island and the Rockaways, PSEG Long Island said.

The grants have not only helped small to medium local businesses enhance the economic development of downtown areas, but have also provided these business owners access to all of the products and services under PSEG Long Island.

Veronica Isaac, senior manager of Customer and Community Partnerships at PSEG Long Island, said the award recognizes the small businesses that have used the utility company’s grants to benefit their communities.

“We said, ‘Let’s recognize the ones who are doing the work, so that the ones who are interested can get ideas and understand how it’s done,’” Isaac said. “For this year, it was the very first time that we held recognition awards showcasing not only the name and the owners of the respective business, but actually showing the work that they did.”