City of Somerville New Small Business Vitality Grant Program

The City of Somerville’s New Small Business Vitality Grant offers up to 12 months of rental support for physical storefronts. Donor Name: City of Somerville State: Massachusetts City: Somerville Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 05/15/2024 Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000 Grant Duration: 1 Year Details: Priority Applications During the review process, priority points will be given to: Businesses that have not received funding from the City or State previously (1 point) Businesses that are opening this storefront as a result of business displacement. Displacement is defined as: a business had to close its previous location as a result of the business storefront relocating from an “act of God” or extreme rental increase since April 2020. Documentation of rent increase from previous location required. Evaluation will be case-by-case as rent structures are varied (1 point) Immigrant-owned/women-owned/black, indigenous, people of color–owned (BIPOC)/ veteran-owned/lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBTQIA)-owned/disability-owned business enterprises (1 point) Businesses within a Qualified Census Tract (QCT) (1 point) Businesses with fewer than 5 full-time employees (1 point) Somerville resident-owned business enterprises  (1 point) Funding Information Funding will be up to $50,000 in rental support, covering both past and future rent expenses with a limit of 12 months. Eligibility Criteria Eligible Applicants Eligibility requirements for the New Small Business Vitality Grant include: The Business must be physically located in Somerville, Massachusetts. The Business must have opened a new storefront to the public on or after January 2023, or has leased a vacant space and is intending to open a new storefront in 2024. The Business must be a physical (brick-and-mortar) storefront; home-based businesses are not eligible. The Business must have fewer than 20 full-time employees. The Business must have a lease agreement for at least one year following the grant award. The Business must be operating in 5 or fewer locations. The Business must not meet the definition of formula retail – franchises, including independently owned locations, are not eligible for this Program. The Business must agree that if awarded, the Business will prioritize hiring local Somerville, MA residents, with a preference for low to moderate-income individuals when possible and suitable. For more information, visit City of Somerville.