Small businesses encouraged to apply for relief grants on TUESDAY

Starting at 9 a.m. Tuesday, grant funds totaling $10 million will be made available to Michigan small businesses that have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 virus and particularly impacted by the current shutdown authorized by Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). These grants are designed to aid in job retention for small businesses.

The Michigan Municipal League Foundation has been notified of its selection as the administrator of the grants for this project. Small business owners in the Manchester community are encouraged to learn about these grants, which will be awarded on a “first-in” basis. As a result, it is expected these funds will go very quickly.

This Pure Michigan Small Business Relief Initiative through the Michigan Strategic Fund will utilize federal CARES Act funding to award individual grants of up to $15,000 to approximately 665 small businesses across the state.  Specifically, this initiative is intended to meet the urgent need of Michigan businesses, including restaurants and bars, lodging providers, live event venues and movie theaters, conference and meeting facilities, indoor recreation facilities, and gyms and fitness centers.

The grants under the program will support those businesses facing drastic reductions in cash flow. The funds are to be used for working capital to support payroll, rent, mortgage payments, or utility expenses. It is quite likely all the grant funding will be vouched for on the day the application window opens – Tuesday, Dec. 15. The League is hoping to see a strong response from minority and women-owned eligible businesses.

Business owners should go to this website for details. They can also review a sample application and an application walkthrough video. These federal CARES Act dollars were distributed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to the Michigan Community Development Block Grant program. A complete list of Pure Michigan Small Business Relief Initiative grant recipients will be posted to michiganbusiness.org/relief,  according to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.

Small businesses are key to building community wealth, and the Michigan Municipal League and the MML Foundation are committed to supporting these activities and more in Michigan communities. With the help of MML members, these grants will be awarded to those businesses in desperate need of support.

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.