MEDC grant will provide opportunities for small businesses

Brendan Wiesner, The Sault News
·2 min read
Local businesses across the state will have the chance for a major expansion grant of $25,000 this month, including those in Sault Ste. Marie.
Local businesses across the state will have the chance for a major expansion grant of $25,000 this month, including those in Sault Ste. Marie.

Local businesses across the state will have the chance for a major expansion grant of $25,000 this month.

For small businesses, expansion is difficult and often cost prohibitive. Over the past few years, between pandemic restrictions and inflation, small businesses in Michigan have struggled to make a profit and grow — and this grant opportunity can help them.

More:DDA grant will allow two Soo businesses to expand

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation is providing a grant called Match on Main to help struggling small businesses. Originally intended to help businesses cope with the cost of adapting to COVID-19 restrictions, the Match on Main grant can now be used to help a business stay on its feet or expand in difficult times.

The goal of the program is to support the growth and expansion of small businesses statewide, and help those businesses create and maintain jobs.

"This grant helps businesses launch or grow," said Sault Ste. Marie DDA Director Stephanie Sprecker. "The grant can be used for many different things but it helps businesses to expand."

The grant has already gone through multiple rounds since its inception, providing businesses across the state with much-needed funding. That includes, in November, two small businesses in Sault Ste. Marie.

One of the businesses, a small food trailer called Motown Nates, used the funds to move their business into a permanent building, allowing the restaurant to stay open during the cold months.

The other business, local spa Prim Aesthetics, was able to upgrade inventory, allowing them to perform HydraFacial services.

"Prim Aesthetics was one of the businesses that benefited from the last round of grants," Sprecker said. "They got equipment that allowed them to perform a new service, there's a lot of potential growth for them."

In order to qualify for the grant, a business must be a considered "small," must be place-based (in a permanent location), be located in a downtown area and be headquartered in Michigan.

Businesses are eligible as long as they're in the limits of an eligible city, including those involved in the Michigan Main Street Program like Sault Ste. Marie, Boyne City, Cheboygan, Rogers City, Grand Haven, Wayland, Charlotte, Coldwater, Three Rivers, Howell, Saline and Lapeer — among others. Redevelopment Ready Communities are also eligible, of which there are dozens, including Holland, Allegan, Ionia, Sturgis and Hillsdale.

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Applications are submitted by a local government unit, downtown development authority or management district. Each city can submit two applications. Applications for this round must be submitted by Feb. 1 in order to qualify.

A business can earn up to $25,000 as long as they can match 10 percent of the funding. Learn more at miplace.org/small-business/match-on-main.

— Contact reporter Brendan Wiesner at bwiesner@sooeveningnews.com.

This article originally appeared on The Sault News: Many Michigan businesses will have an opportunity to expand