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Date: 1/31/2023
AMHERST – Another round of federal ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) grant funding for Amherst businesses is currently available for application. The deadline for application is March 1. The grants will be selected and awarded by the Amherst Business Improvement District (BID) in collaboration with the town of Amherst.
Two categories of grants are available in this round: New Business grants, which are designed to help aspiring businesses open, and Technical Assistance grants, which are intended to “assist with professional fees that are helpful in opening a business,” according to a press release from the town, such as “assistance with architects, attorneys, internal systems, build-out needs, branding specialists for logos and web design, etc.”
To apply for these grants one must have a business plan; the New Business grants require a fully executed lease for the storefront to be in place, while the Technical Assistance grants do not require a lease in place, but do require the business owner to already have a suitable location selected. Once applications have been submitted, they will be reviewed for roughly two weeks. The press release states that “funding will be released immediately upon award notice.”
According to BID Executive Director Gabrielle Gould there is $41,000 in remaining ARPA funds available for local businesses. She described the application as a “simple Google form…it is as simple as an application can be as the awards are not 5-6 figures and we want this to be as painless as possible.”
She said that there are several prerequisite conditions that must exist for the business to qualify for the awards, such as its location, proper financial documentation and accountability.
“The business must be in Amherst and a brick-and-mortar concept. [It] must be a registered business with an EIN [Employer Identification Number] number and a bank account. [It] must have a business plan – if not complete than at least comprehensive to show the viability of the business. If it is technical you must tell us what you are using the funds for. If it is a new business you must share with us what the funds will be used for. You have to be able to report on the spending with receipts and proof of payment,” Gould said.
She also mentioned several conditions which disqualify businesses from awards, saying that funding will not be granted to businesses that are “not in Amherst, not a registered business, do not have a business plan, do not have a storefront or space with any actions taken to secure or explore the space, not in good standing [aka taxes, filings, licensing, lease etc.].”
Gould said that the BID will be hosting “open doors,” meaning times that prospective applicants can connect with the BID and receive help with applications or answer any other questions. She said the date and times of open doors will be released “over the next week.”