The City of Laurel Department of Economic and Community Development (Laurel ECD) is seeking applications for its Smart Move Small Business Grant Program.
Donor Name: City of Laurel
State: Maryland
City: Laurel
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 07/01/2023
Size of the Grant: $5,000 to $15,000
Details:
Goals
The goals of this Program include:
- To provide financial support to businesses that have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic
- To support new business startups in order to fill commercial, office, and industrial vacancies within the City of Laurel that are due to the COVID-19 pandemic
Funds to support this program are provided locally through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), via the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
Funding Information
This Program will award grants in the amount of $5,000 to $15,000 to businesses starting up or relocating to the City of Laurel. The total fund dedicated to this Program is $200,000.
Uses of funds
- Lease payments for a commercial, office, or industrial location to be used as the primary business location
- Moving costs (e.g. truck rental, professional movers)
- Connection and transfer of new utility services
- Installation costs of equipment required for the business (but not the equipment itself)
- Interior remodeling of the new location (e.g. painting, lighting, flooring, bathroom renovation)
- Exterior and window signage
- Other moving incidentals
- Professional, engineering, architectural, and permit fees
Eligibility Criteria
- In order for a business to be eligible it must fall into one of the following categories:
- Startup – A new startup business
- Relocate – A relocating business
- Expand – An expanding business that is opening up an additional location
- The business must also be able to demonstrate how the COVID-19 pandemic has caused the need for the startup, relocation, or expansion of the business. This can be achieved by one or more of the following ways:
- The business is able to demonstrate a loss of revenue starting in March 2020 that necessitates the need to downsize to a smaller location or relocate to a location with lesser monthly lease expenses
- The business is able to demonstrate a change in their business operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic that necessitates relocation
- The business is able to demonstrate how the products or services that are offered are directly related to the COVID-19 pandemic
- The new startup commercial, office, or industrial location was unable to secure a tenant during the COVID-19 pandemic (March 2020 to current) or became vacant during the COVID-19 pandemic (March 2020 to current)
Eligibility Requirements
- If the business is already established (relocation or expansion):
- The business must obtain a City of Laurel Use and Occupancy permit within 6 months of signing the Smart Move Grant Funding Agreement
- The business must have at least one full-time employee currently on the payroll
- The business must be in good standing with the State of Maryland
- The business and all business owners must be current on all City, County, State, and Federal tax payments
- If the business is not already established (startup):
- The business must obtain a City of Laurel Use and Occupancy permit within 6 months of signing the Smart Move Grant Funding Agreement
- The business must be registered with the State of Maryland within thirty (30) days of signing a Smart Move Grant funding agreement
- The business must have at least one full-time employee on the payroll once open for business
- All business owners must be current on all City, County, State, and Federal tax payments
- The Applicant is not engaged in any illegal activity (as defined by Federal guidelines)
Eligible Locations
- The business must be locating to a space within the City of Laurel incorporated boundaries
- The location must be zoned as one of the following:
- C-N – Commercial Neighborhood
- C-C – Commercial Community
- C-G – Commercial General
- C-SH – Commercial Shopping Center
- C-V – Commercial Village
- C-VAC – Commercial Village Activity Center
- O-B – Office Building
- O-B-E – Office Building
- I-CS – Industrial Commercial Services
- I-G – Industrial General
- I-RTP – Industrial Research and Technology Park
- The business must have a current signed leasing contract or a letter of intent to lease the location for three (3) years at the time of application
- The business must have an official signed leasing contract for a period of three (3) years within 30 days of receiving an grant approval letter.
For more information, visit City of Laurel .
