Owners of small Dearborn businesses who have had financial difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic can apply for assistance from the City beginning Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021.
Called the Small Business Grant (SBG) program, it allows Dearborn business owners to apply to have up to $15,000 worth of specific business expenses reimbursed.
Payments won’t be made to the businesses, but will be sent directly to their landlords, mortgage companies, utilities, or providers of other approved services for reimbursement of their costs incurred over a six-month period. The funds will be awarded on a first come, first served basis.
Applicants must provide a statement of impact of COVID-19 on their business.
The SBG program is spearheaded by the Economic and Community Development Department, with direction from Mayor Jack O’Reilly.
“Our small businesses are a vital part of our community,” Mayor O’Reilly said. “These grants will provide welcome relief.”
Federally-funded, the program is designed to cover specific costs, such as lease or utility payments, incurred by small businesses for up to six consecutive months.
The maximum grant for a microenterprise is $5,000. A microenterprise is a business with five or fewer employees. The maximum grant for other small businesses is $15,000. A small business is considered to be any business with six to 50 employees.
Where to find details of the grant
Details on the program, including the kinds of businesses that qualify, how to apply, and the complete list of financial documents required with submission, can be found at www.cityofdearborn.org/SBGCovid.
Applications accepted online only
Beginning Wednesday, Feb. 10, applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until funds are no longer available. There is a total of $1.3 million available for this program. The application can be found at www.cityofdearborn.org/SBGCovid
Applications can only be submitted online. Paper applications will not be available.
Applications must be submitted with all documents at once
Thorough documentation of need is required and the application may take some time to fill out. A partial list of the requested documentation includes:
• Certificate of Occupancy
• 2019 Profit and Loss Statement, and third quarter statement for 2020
• Copy of lease or rental agreement, or mortgage
• Copy of bills for which SBG assistance is sought
A full list of the required documentation can be found at www.cityofdearborn.org/SBGCovid
Business owners are advised to dedicate adequate time to review the requirements and collect documentation before starting the application.
The application can be saved and filled out over time. However, all materials must be submitted at the same time upon completion of the application. Late materials will not be accepted, so don’t submit the application without having all the documentation ready.
The grant amount depends upon the demonstrated cost of monthly expenses times six (because it covers six months). Businesses do not need to repay awarded funds.
Funds may be used for up to six months of direct payments to providers servicing businesses, such as for the following:
• Commercial rent, lease, or mortgage.
• Utilities costs, such as electricity, gas, and water for up to six months.
• Business liability insurance.
• Fees to a food delivery service such as DoorDash or GrubHub.
LINK TO SMALL BUSINESS GRANT CV APPLICATION INFORMATION PAGE
For answers to specific questions, please contact the City at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The City of Dearborn thanks the Dearborn Area Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Dearborn for support of the SBG program.
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