The Bradford Group has merged with the Dalton Agency to create Nashville’s fourth-largest public relations and advertising agency as measured by revenue.

Jeff Bradford will lead the Nashville office of the merged firm as president, sharing leadership with his longtime business partner, Gina Gallup, who will be senior vice president.

The merged company will maintain the name, the Bradford Group, and operate from its existing offices at the Fifth & Main Building in East Nashville. The firm’s other offices, in Jacksonville, Florida, and Atlanta, will maintain the Dalton Agency brand.

The Nashville office will expand from 11 to 21 people. Total income of the combined firms is more than $12 million.

Dalton already represents Opryland Hotel and Soundwaves Water Experience, Change Healthcare, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Bridgestone and the Nashville Public Library. The merger adds First Horizon Bank, Cumberland Pharmaceuticals, Ascend Federal Credit Union, Turner Construction and the Greater Nashville Technology Council.

LaunchTN seeks COVID-19 solutions

Launch Tennessee, working with Knoxville-based startup Vendor Registry, is seeking proposals to rapidly connect solutions and capabilities in the state by using the Tennessee Innovation Crowdsource Platform.

The public-private partnership, LaunchTN, is a statewide resource network supporting businesses, entrepreneurs and startups.

Submissions will be addressed in two initial categories:

• General COVID-19 needs, with focus areas including health care system demand management/planning, resource mapping, mental health, and consumer engagement with local businesses.

• Medical Materials, including masks, gowns, shields, swabs, testing kits, sanitizer, gloves and more.

The platform will allow LaunchTN to organize and evaluate proposals, and recommend promising strategies to state procurement specialists for expedited treatment.

Change Healthcare opens CARES hub

Nashville-based Change Healthcare has launched a CARES Act Advisory resource hub to help health providers seeking access to emergency federal funding.

The site contains informational resources and step-by-step guidance to help providers apply for forgivable small business loans under the Paycheck Protection Program section of the CARES Act, as well as accelerated Medicare reimbursement. Funds are being made available through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act.

The Change Healthcare CARES Act Advisory hub is available now and will be updated as required.

Included in the $2 trillion CARES stimulus plan is $349 billion in small business support through PPP, which providers can apply for through their bank or SBA lending institution beginning April 3.

Nashville homeless agency joins pandemic project

The United Health Foundation has pledged $5 million to provide urgent support for people experiencing homelessness and food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic.

UHF is in partnership with the Nashville-based National Health Care for the Homeless Council, Feeding America and Meals on Wheels America and is part of UnitedHealth Group’s previously announced $50 million initial commitment to fight COVID-19 and support impacted populations, including health care workers, seniors and hard-hit communities.

Grounded in human rights and social justice, the Council works on behalf of 300 health care for the homeless centers and 90 medical respite care programs to build an equitable, high-quality health care system through training, research and advocacy in the movement to end homelessness.

The partnerships include:

• $2.5 million to the National Health Care for the Homeless Council to support both urgent, immediate needs at local health care for homeless programs as well as longer-term needs to expand capacity;

• $1.5 million to the Feeding America network of member food banks for COVID-19 response needs, such as purchasing additional food to meet sudden increases in demand, supporting new distribution approaches and responding to a sudden decline in volunteers;

• $1 million to Meals on Wheels America to support local programs addressing the immediate and ongoing needs of vulnerable seniors.

State extends deadline for tax filing, payments

The Tennessee Department of Revenue has extended the tax filing and payment deadlines for certain taxes.

The filing deadlines for Franchise and Excise Tax and Hall Income Tax returns originally due April 15 have been extended to July 15.

Interest and late filing penalties will not be applied to returns filed and payments made on or before this extended due date.

The filing deadline for Business Tax returns originally due April 15 has been extended to June 15. The Business Tax is a tax on gross receipts and applies to most businesses that sell goods or services.