HARTFORD, Conn. — Small businesses in Hartford with fewer than five employees will be eligible for microgrants as part of a new economic development program run by the city.
On Monday, Hartford announced a new $500,000 Microenterprise Microgrant Program, which will provide businesses that have five or fewer employees with up to $2,500 in funding.
Small businesses with five or fewer employees (including the owner), as well as entrepreneurs seeking to develop a microenterprise in the city, are eligible for this grant funding. Eligible applicants must also have a physical address in Hartford and must either have an existing business plan or develop a business plan as a result of the program.
The program is just one of several small business recovery initiatives created by the City in the last two years, including the Hart Lift program to help property owners and brick-and-mortar retail businesses fill vacant storefronts in Hartford, the Small Business Façade Improvement Program which helps property owners improve and beautify the exterior of their storefronts, and the Small Business Investment Fund that helps create and retain job opportunities in downtown and neighborhood businesses.
"It doesn’t just mean our brick-and-mortar shops – it also means supporting Hartford entrepreneurs working out of their kitchens, garages, pop-up stands, food trucks, or online," said Mayor Luke Bronin. "With this program, we want to make sure those microenterprises get a shot to take their businesses to the next level and grow here in Hartford. We know that not all of these businesses will succeed, but we also know that our City as a whole is stronger when those who have the courage and creativity to build a business in our community get some support to do it right.”
A pre-application form is now live at www.hartfordct.gov/smallbiz. Applications will be reviewed and accepted on a rolling basis. The program is funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program and through the U.S. Department of Treasury’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding.
Doug Stewart is the Senior Digital Content Producer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dstewart@fox61.com.
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