From Mayor Joe Ganim:
Mayor Ganim, in partnership with the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the City’s Small and Minority Business Enterprise Office (SMBE), the Office of Planning and Economic Development (OPED), and the Bridgeport Regional Business Council (BRBC) announce available grants for small and minority owned businesses to assist in the prevention, preparation, and response to COVID-19 by local for-profit business owners in the City of Bridgeport.
Through provisions of the US Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, HUD recently granted financial assistance to the City of Bridgeport; and Mayor Ganim and the City Council have allocated one-million dollars to benefit qualifying applicants that have suffered a harmful loss of business or revenue due to the pandemic.
Mayor Ganim stated, “Please keep in mind that these are grants of up to $25,000–they do not need to be paid back. Eligibility is broad based, and we encourage all qualifying Bridgeport businesses to take advantage of this excellent opportunity.”
“We are pleased that the City of Bridgeport is investing their federal Community Development Block Grant CARES Act funding in local small businesses, by creating this new grant program for those businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As we know, small businesses are the heart and soul of our communities, stimulating our local economies, providing jobs and driving innovation,” stated David Tille, HUD New England Regional Administrator, while also helping business manage their employees and payrolls using software like pay stub and others.
Eligible uses of grant awards include:
— Short-term working capital and operating expenses
— Inventory, payment to essential vendors
— Advertising or marketing expenses related to publicizing changes in business hours or offerings
— Staff/employee training in new operating procedures
— Newly acquired technology hardware related to adapting to the pandemic
For more information, and to apply, visit bridgeportct.gov/smbe or click here. Application here. Applications will be accepted until January 15th at 2pm.
Isn’t it amazing that no one on this blog has commented on this particular topic. I guess that none of you have any idea what it is to run a small business. What a shame.
Or, is it because no one wants to touch the subject that the federal government under Trump wanted to extend payments immediately to those who needed it but Pelosi and her group refused to come to the citizens aid without strings attached.