HYANNIS – Governor Charlie Baker recently announced that $78.5 million in awards through the COVID-19 Small Business Grant Program’s third round of grants will be distributed to 1,595 small businesses statewide.
The program is administered by the Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation, and has already awarded almost $195 million in financial support to 4,119 small businesses out of a $669 million fund.
Baker said that the funds are vital to the Commonwealth’s economic recovery, and will continue to expedite the grant process.
“The program we’re operating is the largest small business grant program using COVID relief funds currently in the United States of America,” said Baker.
“We know how important it is to get small businesses up and running and to help them work their way through this last turn of the pandemic and to make sure that, by the time we get to the spring, they’re still with us.”
Industries that have been especially impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, such as restaurants and bars, personal care, retail, and health care businesses will receive the highest number of individual grants in this round.
Other recipients of the grants include women-owned businesses, businesses in Gateway Cities, businesses in underserved markets and businesses that have not yet received other forms of financial assistance during the pandemic.
Additional grants will be announced in the coming weeks for thousands of additional businesses, said the Baker-Polito Administration.
The MGCC also administered the Sector-Specific Small Business Relief Grant Program, launched in late December 2020.
Restaurants, bars, caterers and food trucks; indoor recreation and entertainment establishments; gyms and fitness centers; event support companies; personal services and independent retailers are the preferred applicants for the Sector-Specific grant program, said Baker.
The Administration has reminded residents that applications for the grant program must be submitted by 11:59 pm on Friday, January 15.
More information on the Sector-Specific program and applications can be found on the MGCC website.
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