Minnesota Main Street COVID Relief Grants
Begin Accepting Applications September 20th;
Informational Resources Available Today
More than $64 million is available in grants for Minnesota businesses that experienced financial hardship due to COVID-19.
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) will begin accepting applications for the Main Street COVID Relief Grants Program on September 20th. This program was approved by the Minnesota State Legislature and signed by Gov. Tim Walz on June 30, 2021.
A total of $64,200,000 is available in grants for Minnesotan owned and operated businesses that can demonstrate financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Businesses that are majority-owned by military veterans, women, and Black, Indigenous, and people of color individuals; employ 6 people or fewer; and/or did not receive previous assistance from other state relief programs will be prioritized in the selection process. Funding will be distributed in a 50/50 split between the Twin Cities metro area and Greater Minnesota.
Applicants that qualify and are selected will receive a grant amount between $10,000 and $25,000 based on the number of full-time equivalent (FTEs) employees on staff. To be eligible, businesses must operate in Minnesota and be majority owned by a resident of Minnesota. Additional eligibility requirements and application information can be found at DEED’s Main Street COVID Relief Grants Program page.
“We know many small businesses are still feeling the lingering effects of the darkest days of the pandemic, so we're eager to get this money into their
pockets,” said DEED Commissioner Steve Grove. “We know small businesses are big drivers of the job growth we need in our economy and hope businesses across the state apply for these funds.”
If you have questions, you can email MSCRG.DEED@state.mn.us
Applications will be reviewed and awards will be disbursed and administered by qualified local and regionally based nonprofit organizations. Grant funds received by individual businesses shall be used for working capital to support payroll expenses, rent, mortgage payments, utility bills, and other similar expenses that occur or have occurred since March 12, 2020, in the regular course of business.
The application portal will open September 20, 2021 and will accept applications for 10 days after opening. Applications will close on September 29th at 11:59 p.m. Afterward, grant applications will be selected for consideration through a computer-generated, randomized selection process.
Washington County Business Owners with questions please contact Tyler Hilsabeck from the Washington County Open to Business Program at thilsabeck@mccdmn.org or 612-789-8838.
More information is also available on the Washington County CDA’s economic development website at: https://www.eastmetromsp.org/covid-19-business-resources