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The Empowerment Grant for Small Businesses
To support the needs of Massachusetts small businesses during the
COVID-19 pandemic.

Application deadline is May 29, 2020.
Funding decisions will be made by June 12, 2020.
 
The State Treasurer’s Office of Economic Empowerment (OEE) is proud to offer The Empowerment Grant for Small Businesses as an acknowledgement of the devastating economic impact that the COVID -19 pandemic has had on the Massachusetts small business community.

The Empowerment Grant Program aims to support the well-being and continuity of small businesses by providing access to capital and empowerment through engaging in OEE resources.

Grant resources will be focused on small business owners serving Massachusetts Gateway Cities. The State Treasurer’s Office of Economic Empowerment encourages minority-owned, women-owned, veteran-owned, and/or immigrant-owned small businesses located in gateway communities to apply.

For details, please see Section III of the Program Summary. Applicants are encouraged to illustrate how they can utilize funds to support initiatives that will allow them to continue operating during and/or after the COVID-19 pandemic. Applicants may request up to $2,500 for the proposed need.

A full description and details can be found in the Program Summary.

Applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements
  • Must be registered in a Gateway City in Massachusetts. According to M.G.L. ch. 23A § 3A, the 26 Gateway Cities in the Commonwealth are Attleboro, Barnstable, Brockton, Chelsea, Chicopee, Everett, Fall River, Fitchburg, Haverhill, Holyoke, Lawrence, Leominster, Lowell, Lynn, Malden, Methuen, New Bedford, Peabody, Pittsfield, Quincy, Revere, Salem, Springfield, Taunton, Westfield, and Worcester.
  • Businesses that are minority-owned, women-owned, veteran-owned, and/or immigrant-owned are encouraged to apply.
  • Must be a “small business.” A “small business” means a business that had total annual sales in its most recently completed fiscal year of less than five million dollars and which has a principal place of business within the commonwealth; provided, however, that no loan or loans to a borrower in an aggregate principal amount in excess of $1,000,000 and no loan for passive real estate purposes shall be considered to be a loan to a small business borrower. M.G.L. ch. 23A, § 57. The term “Small Business” shall also mean a commercial loan of $1,000,000 or less. 
  • Business must be in operation for at least one year.
  • Preference given to small businesses in industries especially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
    • Examples of Categories of Industry:
      • Home cleaning services
      • Personal training/fitness
      • Brick and mortar establishments
      • Personal care services, such as hair and nail salons
      • Other industries, including non-manufacturing goods production & associated services; manufacturing; retail; leisure and hospitality; finance and insurance; healthcare and education; professional services and real estate; business support and consumer services
  • Exclusions include businesses that are chains or franchises and multi-level marketing entities.
  • Applicants may be asked to participate in providing testimony and other marketing or promotional materials.
Visit our COVID-19 Resource Page for Important Business, Non-profit, and Cultural Resources!

Plus some resources that are just for fun!


https://downtownpittsfield.com/2020/04/covid-19-resources/
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