Grant program established to help minority owned businesses

An aerial view of downtown Springfield looking east. TY GREENLEES / STAFF

An aerial view of downtown Springfield looking east. TY GREENLEES / STAFF

The Ohio Development Services Agency has announced a new grant program designed to help minority and women-owned small businesses impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

The Ohio Minority Micro-Enterprise Grant program aims to provide $10,000 in funding to help those businesses as the coronavirus pandemic and preventive measures taken have caused an immediate economic impact.

In order to be eligible for the grant, businesses must be certified as a minority business enterprise or a woman-owned edge-certified business. Those certifications must have occurred as of Feb. 29.

Those businesses must have 10 or fewer employees, up to $500,000 in annual revenue and has not previously received funding from the federal CARES Act.

In addition, to qualify, businesses must be current on all taxes and private or public loans. Grants will be awarded on a a first come, first served basis.

For more information, visit www.development.ohio.gov.

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