HartBeat of Main Street Grant Program

Small Business Grant for Downtown Storefront Businesses! The HartBeat of Main Street Grant Program will fund solutions that help small business owners respond and adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic, and also help to revitalize and strengthen older and historic downtown commercial districts. Grants of $5,000 to $15,000 will be awarded on a competitive and first-come, first-served basis. A minimum of 50 percent of grants will benefit diverse-owned businesses, as defined by the Small Business Administration as minority, woman, veteran, disabled, and/or LGBTQ-owned.  Applications will open the week of Monday, July 27 and continue to be accepted until 11:59 PM PT August 23, 2020 or until 500 applications have been submitted, whichever is sooner. https://www.mainstreet.org/howwecanhelp/hartbeat

• Applications for the HartBeat of Main Street Small Business Grant Program ("Program") will be accepted from July 27, 2020 through 11:59 pm PT on August 23, 2020 or whenever 500 applications have been submitted, whichever is sooner ("Application Period").
• Grant recipients are not required to be customers of The Hartford. Applications will be weighed and grants awarded without consideration of applicant’s being or not being a present, past, or prospective customer of The Hartford.

Grants of $5,000 to $15,000 will be awarded on a competitive and first-come, first-served basis. A minimum of 50 percent of grants will benefit diverse-owned businesses, as defined by the Small Business Administration as minority, woman, veteran, disabled, and/or LGBTQ-owned.

• ELIGIBILITY: Applicants must meet the following requirements to apply for a Program grant:
  • The applicant’s business must be a business entity in good standing in the state in which it was formed and the state in which it does business.
  • The applicant’s business must operate a “brick and mortar” store-front since at least January 1, 2019 in an older or historic downtown, Main Street or Neighborhood Commercial District.
  • The applicant’s business must employ less than 20 full time employees.
  • The applicant must be an owner of the business.
  • The applicant must be at least age 18 years or older.

• What types of grant expenses are eligible?
  • Eligible grant expenses include but are not limited to:
  • Physical improvements to business space to meet relevant reopening requirements implemented because of COVID-19
  • Equipment to comply with public health and safety guidelines (i.e., touchless payment methods, automatic door open sensors, or disposable menus)
  • Fees associated with expanding the business to e-commerce sales
  • Other professional services, such as business plan modifications
  • Rent, payroll, and other operating expenses