The City of Scranton is seeking applications for Façade Improvement funding for disproportionately impacted small businesses.
Donor Name: City of Scranton
State: Pennsylvania
City: Scranton
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 09/20/2023
Size of the Grant: $10,000
Details:
The city will partner with local non-profits; Scranton Tomorrow, NeighborWorks and United Neighborhood Centers of NEPA to administer this program.
The mission of the city’s specific ARPA program is to give people access to resources, rebuild the infrastructure systems that impact their everyday lives, and foster real equitable wealth generation that targets the needs of Scranton residents. This mission statement is also accompanied by six (6) guiding principles:
- Recovery: Use funds to equitably guide residents, businesses, nonprofits & local government out of the economic downturn and onto a path of financial recovery
- Response: Enhance city health & emergency response capabilities
- Alignment: Integrate ARPA Funds with ACT 47 Exit Plan Goals, long-term financial and tax strategies, & comprehensive economic development planning
- Sustainability: Avoid one-time items and programs that incur unsustainable operational, maintenance, or other long-term legacy costs
- Leverage: Tackle large infrastructure needs for a safer, healthier city
- Transparency: Accountability, communication, collaboration
Scranton City Council approved ARPA funding to be made available as grants to community organizations, nonprofits, and small business that have faced economic hardship resulting from or exacerbated by the public health emergency.
Terms of Grant Award
Façade grants may not exceed $10,000 and must be matched by a contribution of 25% by the applicant.
Note: In instances where multiple eligible small business owners share the same façade, it is encouraged that small business owners submit a joint application for upgrades to the shared façade. Joint applications that involve upgrades to the same façade, but different small business storefronts will be eligible for an award up to 20,000, with the same 25% match required by the pooled group of applicants.
Eligibility Requirements
The City’s ARPA grant programs are designed to support residents, organizations, programs, and activities that benefit City of Scranton residents and community. Per the Final Rule, the U.S. Treasury recognizes small businesses located within a QCT area as disproportionately impacted and eligible to receive funding. Below are general eligibility requirements that all eligible small business applicants must meet:
- Must qualify as a small business – The City of Scranton has defined a small business as business with 50 or fewer full-time and/or part-time employees
- Must be physically located in the City of Scranton
- Must have an address located within a QCT area per the map provided in the grant application
- Be in good standing and registered with the City Single Tax Office as well as current with local taxes and trash fees
- Must have no current unpaid code enforcement liens or violations of any state, federal or local laws
- Must be current on all taxes including payroll, sales, unemployment, property, State, and Federal
- No owners have been convicted of financial crimes withing the past three (3) years
- If applicable, façade plans must seek approval of the HARB Historical Architecture Review Board
- Applicants are required to meet all codes and ordinances of the City of Scranton. Applicants are also required to secure any necessary permit(s) from the City of Scranton before work may commence. There will be no reimbursement if code or ordinance violations exist.
- The project must use a contractor; licensed in the City of Scranton.
- Provide proof of insurance to the satisfaction of the City prior to the receipt of any funding.
- During the period beginning on September 20, 2022 – September 20, 2023, the applicant has not received alternate Federal grant funding to cover these same costs or uses.
For more information, visit Façade Improvement Grant.
