Huron County View

Potential help available for local businesses

Grants to come through Michigan Small Business Restart Program



HURON COUNTY – Michigan’s small businesses and nonprofits working to recover from the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 virus can now apply for grants of up to $20,000 through the Michigan Small Business Restart Program.

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation recently announced the program will provide $100 million in economic assistance to Michigan’s small businesses and nonprofits and in turn, help support workers and their families facing economic uncertainty during the outbreak.

“The Michigan Small Business Restart Program puts federal funding to work for small businesses in Michigan hardest hit by the impact of COVID-19, helping to ensure they can keep their doors open and put critical protections in place for their workers and their customers,” said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. “Families across the state depend on small businesses for their livelihood, and this program will build on additional COVID-19 business relief efforts offered by the MEDC to create a strong foundation for Michigan’s long-term economic recovery.”

Approved by the Michigan Strategic Fund on July 7, the Michigan Small Business Restart Program allocates $100 million of federal CARES Act funding to provide support to Michigan’s small businesses and nonprofits that are reopening and have experienced a loss of income as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.

“This is an opportunity for small businesses that have been negatively impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and who need working capital, to get support from the federal CARES Act,” said Carl Osentoski, executive director of the Huron County Economic Development Corporation.

The funding will be distributed across 15 local or nonprofit economic development organizations (EDOs) covering all 83 counties in the state for grants up to $20,000 to support certain small businesses and nonprofits that have realized a significant financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 virus.

The Flint & Genesee Chamber EDO will be distributing a total of $8,045,455 to the counties of Huron, Sanilac, Tuscola, Shiawassee, Genesee, Lapeer and St. Clair.

The Michigan Small Business Restart Program application period will be live through Wednesday, Aug. 5 at michiganbusiness.org/restart and all applications received during that three week period will receive consideration; grants will be awarded after the close of the application period based on criteria that are defined by the EDOs. Funds can be used as working capital to support payroll expenses, rent, mortgage payments, utility expenses or other similar expenses.

“The goal of the grants are to reduce the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on our small businesses.” Osentoski added.

The MEDC anticipates that more than 5,000 businesses across the state will benefit from the program.

To qualify for grant support, businesses must meet the following criteria, based on statutory requirements for the program:

• Is a business or nonprofit with fewer than 50 employees that can demonstrate it is affected by the COVID-19 emergency

• Needs working capital to support eligible expenses

• Demonstrates an income loss as a result of the COVID-19 emergency

• Additionally, at least 30 percent of the funds awarded under the program must be provided to women-owned, minority-owned or veteran-owned eligible businesses.

“We have taken this program from words on a page to full deployment in two weeks to ensure we can start getting these funds into the hands of small businesses and nonprofits across Michigan and continue to set a path to economic recovery here in our state,” said MEDC CEO Mark A. Burton. “The Michigan Small Business Restart program will provide a significant opportunity to address immediate needs of small businesses and nonprofits negatively impacted by COVID-19. Combined with other MSF programs and services, as well as local and federal economic development support, we can help ensure small businesses throughout the state to recover from the short and long-term impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak.”

Information on how to apply, as well as eligibility criteria and program guidelines are available at michiganbusiness.org/ restart.