Flint, Michigan – The City of Flint, along with Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Flint, has launched the Flint Small Business Rescue Fund in an attempt to improve Flint’s post-pandemic economic landscape. Small local companies struggling with the economic consequences of COVID-19 will get essential financial help from the new funding program. The initiative will provide one-time reimbursement grants, potentially up to $20,000 for each of the 20 qualifying companies inside the municipal borders, through funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
From April 18, 2025, to April 30, 2025, companies may request to offset costs incurred from March 3, 2020, to October 31, 2023. Ranging from labor and rent to utilities and equipment expenditures, these costs reflect all of the financial pressures companies faced during the pandemic. LISC Flint supervises the selection process, which could use a lottery if application numbers above the fund’s capacity.
“Through prayer, planning and partnership, we will continue to strengthen economic outcomes,” said Mayor Sheldon Neeley in a press release from the City of Flint. “Small businesses are the heartbeat of the Flint community, and they deserve every opportunity to thrive.”
“The Flint Small Business Rescue Fund represents a critical investment in our local entrepreneurs who kept going through some of the toughest economic conditions we’ve seen in decades,” said Juan Zuniga, Executive Director of LISC Flint. “This City of Flint provided funding is about resilience, recovery, and restoring community wealth from the ground up.”
Businesses have to fulfill various requirements to be eligible for the funding. They have to be for-profit, brick-and-mortar businesses based in Flint with no more than 30 full-time equivalent staff members running since before October 1, 2020. Applicants also have to be in good standing with the city and show financial need together with evidence of qualifying costs.
SIPI, Inc. will conduct several support sessions to help prospective candidates navigate the procedure in preparation for the application period. These consist of an April 22 virtual information session and on-site technical help at SIPI, Inc.’s Flint headquarters on April 25, followed followed by another virtual session on April 27.
Read also: New legal action marks major step in Michigan’s fight against toxic industrial legacy
Businesses wishing to apply for the funding or looking for more help can start the application process by contacting LISC Flint by email. The final selection of grant recipients will be announced by June 2025, marking a significant step towards economic recovery for Flint’s small business community.
To apply, CLICK HERE.