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Date: 10/18/2022
AMHERST – The first round of grant funding for Amherst’s small businesses was awarded this month. 16 local businesses were awarded a total of $49,500, drawn from the town of Amherst’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allotment. Grants were distributed by the town and managed by the Amherst Business Improvement District (BID), a collection of property owners who pool their resources to aid growth in Amherst’s downtown. This round will be followed by a second over the winter.
The awards are split into three categories: existing business, new business, and technical. Existing grants help with operational or presentational costs for existing brick and mortar businesses. New grants service those who already have a physical space for their prospective business but may need assistance purchasing equipment or furnishing. Technical grants are for those with a business plan but no lease in place, to help them overcome the hurdles they may face in trying to secure a space. So far ten existing business grants have been awarded, followed by three new business grants, and three technical assistance grants.
A minimum of 50 percent of funds were reserved for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and peoples of color), members of the LGBTQ community, women or other marginalized groups, but to date, 98 percent of funding has gone to business owners from these groups. BID Executive Director Gabrielle Gould acknowledged that applying to grants can normally be “very tricky” for those not accustomed to the process, and said that there was a big focus on removing any accessibility barriers when creating the application form and choosing awardees.
“Seventy percent of small businesses in Amherst are owned by members of marginalized groups and a very high percentage of their owners speak English as a second language, but that does not preclude them from being worthy and deserving of financial support,” said Gould.
According to Gould, this year’s grants were released as part of a revitalization strategy to offset the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on small businesses in Amherst.
“We have simplified the grants process as much as possible, we are thrilled with the applicants we have had to date. A lot of work goes into this program, and it is important to note that the BID takes no funding or administration fees for its work. 100 percent of these funds will be in the hands of small businesses in Amherst,” Gould added in a press release.
The funding has already been put to use by several awardees, and they have given testimonials in praise of the grants. The owners of Pita Pockets restaurant of 103 N. Pleasant St. reported, “We were able to get the new grill for the store … The [new] grill is faster with more capacity … We save on gas.”
Mexcalito Taco Bar of 17 Kellogg St. said, “We used [the grant] for the music speakers outside. We also ordered a sign, and we put the lights up outside … it looks really good … I feel like a part of the community.”
The Closet clothing store at 79 Cowls Rd said that, “because of this grant I was able to upgrade my point-of-sale system. This allowed me to streamline business processes and simplify the checkout process for customers.”
The second round of grants will be open for application sometime in mid-December, according to Gould. $100,000 worth of funding is available, with a $10,000 maximum per awardee. She said that “we have yet to award a full ten thousand because we are trying to help as many businesses as possible.” The application will be open for six weeks; then, the BID will begin a 10 to 14 day review process. Businesses are assessed according to a rubric, but Gould said that the board also “looks at the individual outside of the rubric” to decide on winners. She stressed that technical grants can be applied for even if the business owner does not have a lease in place, as long as they have a business plan, registration, and “their feet on the ground” in general.
Anyone interested in applying for a grant may contact the BID on their website for further information.