Red Lake Nation
Friday September 3, 2021
William Campbell | Corbis via Getty Images
St. Paul - 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.”
Previous relief programs include the Small Business Emergency Loan program, the Small Business Relief Grant Program, the Movie Theater and Convention Center Relief Grant program, and the County Relief Grant program.
We will be holding informational sessions; please find the dates and details below.
• Tuesday, September 14th at 11:00 a.m.
• Monday, September 20th at 10:00 a.m.
If you have questions, you can email [email protected]. We will also be keeping our Frequently Asked Questions updated as we get inquires. Additionally, you will be able to find translated program information on our website in Hmong, Somali, Spanish, and Vietnamese. You can also watch our How To Apply For The Minnesota Main Street COVID Relief Grant video in Hmong, Somali and Spanish.
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 29 at 11:59 p.m. Afterward, grant applications will be selected for consideration through a computer-generated, randomized selection process.
DEED is the state's principal economic development agency, promoting business recruitment, expansion and retention, workforce development, international trade and community development. For more details about the agency and its services, visit the DEED website or follow us on Twitter.