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[Friday Deadline] Join Regional Microenterprise Grant Program

Community Development Block Grants for Microenterprise, Public Social Services

Friday, May 22 deadline to indicate interest in regional program

On Friday, May 15, the MA Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) released an opportunity for non-entitlement communities to apply for Community Development Block Grant CARES Act funding.

There is $9.65 million available to municipalities to fund microenterprise assistance and public social assistance. Individual communities can receive up to $400,000. The deadline for applications is Friday, June 5.

 

Regional Collaboration Opportunity: Microenterprise Program

DHCD is encouraging regional applications and MAPC is willing to work with communities on a regional microenterprise program.

This regional program would grant funding of up to $10,000 per business to qualifying microenterprises adversely impacted by COVID-19.

A "microenterprise" is a commercial business with five or fewer employees, one or more of whom owns the business. To be eligible for the grants, business owners must qualify under national Low-Moderate Income (LMI) criteria, or serve an LMI neighborhood or community. (Learn more in the Notice of Funding Availability.)

 

Work With MAPC

  • Communities participating do not need to be geographically continuous--any non-entitlement community in the region can participate. (Click the button below for a list of ineligible entitlement communities in Massachusetts.)
  • Arlington
  • Attleboro
  • Barnstable
  • Boston
  • Brockton
  • Brookline
  • Cambridge
  • Chicopee
  • Fall River
  • Fitchburg
  • Framingham
  • Gloucester
  • Haverhill
  • Holyoke
  • Lawrence
  • Leominster
  • Lowell
  • Lynn
  • Malden
  • Medford
  • New Bedford
  • Newton
  • Northampton
  • Peabody
  • Pittsfield
  • Plymouth
  • Quincy
  • Revere
  • Salem
  • Somerville
  • Springfield
  • Taunton
  • Waltham
  • Westfield
  • Weymouth
  • Worcester
  • Yarmouth
  • If interested in forming a regional microenterprise program, one community would need to serve as the lead applicant. This lead community would have to host a virtual public meeting with a five day public notification period prior to submitting the application (due on June 5). All communities participating in the regional application would need to be listed on the hearing notice, including partner agencies.
  • MAPC is willing to assist with the administration of funding and would work with an established small business support organization to deliver the assistance.

Communities interested in this regional program should contact Chief of Economic Development Betsy Cowan at [email protected] by Friday, May 22 at noon at the latest to confirm interest.