MOORHEAD – The Moorhead CARES Small Business Relief Grant Program is officially open for applications.
The grant program offers grants of up to $10,000 to small businesses and community organizations with 20 or fewer employees, and up to $3,000 for eligible sole proprietors, according to press notes.
The application opened at 9 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 17, and will close at midnight Monday, Aug. 31. Full program details and an online application are available at Moorheadcares.com .
Applications are not first-come, first-served, and will not be distributed by a lottery system, according to press notes.
The Moorhead City Council approved the use of $2 million in federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act funding for the development of the Moorhead CARES Small Business Relief Grant Program.
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"The City of Moorhead values all of our businesses, non-profits and community organizations,” Moorhead Mayor Johnathan Judd said. “The Moorhead CARES program will help these entities deal with the difficult financial impacts resulting from COVID-19. It is important that our businesses are supported, not only because they provide jobs to dedicated employees, but also because they are essential to Moorhead's character and quality of life by the products and services they provide for our residents."
While there are other federal and state programs addressing COVID-19 impacts, according to press notes, some of them left out "non-profits, very new businesses, or those whose owners live out of state, which doesn't work well in our metro area.”
“We want to reach start-ups and entrepreneurs with these resources, as well as long-time Moorhead business owners," acting City Manager Dan Mahli said. "All are welcome to help steer the future toward the city we want to live in.”
Downtown Moorhead Inc. President Derrick LaPoint stressed the importance of the program.
"We want to have robust communication of this important opportunity to ensure our business owners hear about it within the two week application period," La Point said.
For more information visit http://cityofmoorhead.com/business/moorhead-cares-small-business-relief-grant or email Moorheadcares@cityofmoorhead.
