Mayor Brodeur announces grants for small Melrose businesses

MELROSE- COVID-19 has presented significant challenges to many small businesses, and several have struggled to remain open during this pandemic. To provide supports to local business owners, Mayor Brodeur worked with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council to apply for a state and federally funded micro-enterprise grant program. Melrose has been selected to participate in the program, making over $175,000 available in total funding for local merchantsand business owners.

“Our small businesses are one of the key elements of what makes Melrose such a unique community. Watching how the pandemic has upended how they operate has been challenging, so I am glad that we are able to make this funding available to alleviate that hardship,” Mayor Paul Brodeur said.

The funding is being utilized to address emergency needs in light of the Coronavirus pandemic.  Specifically, the program will award individual grants of up to $10,000 for microenterprise businesses. A microenterprise is defined as a commercial enterprise that has 5 or fewer employees, 1 or more of whom owns the enterprise and must be a for-profit entity. A number of other limiting eligibility criteria also apply. 

Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation (“MGCC”) will be helping to administer and oversee the grant program. To determine your eligibility and access an application please access this link. (https://massgcc.submittable.com/submit) Applications are due by September 25th. 

Businesses interested in applying must fill out the online application only. For questions, please contact Denise Gaffey, Director of Planning and Community Development, dgaffey@cityofmelrose.org, 781-979-4190.