City of Hartford Grant Program

Eligibility:

• Applicant must be an established business, defined as one with less than 500 employees, located within the City of Hartford.
• Business must be open and have been operating for at least two years at the time of application.
• Applicant must demonstrate it belongs to one of the following categories:
  1.  Businesses that have been “impacted” are those that can identify a negative economic impact that was caused or exacerbated by the pandemic, including:
     – Decreased revenue or gross receipts
     • – Challenges covering payroll, rent, mortgage, or other operating costs.
     • – Difficultly weathering financial hardship
     • – Increased costs
     • – Financial insecurity

     2. Businesses that have been “disproportionately impacted” are those located within a Qualifying Census Tract as defined by the U.S. Office of Policy Development & Research. See City of Hartford Qualifying Census Tract Map.

     3. The business is in an “impacted industry”:

     – If the industry is in the travel, tourism or hospitality sectors, the industry is presumed impacted.
     – If the industry is outside of travel, tourism or hospitality sectors, justification is required.
     – Regardless of industry, business must have been in operation prior to the pandemic and was affected by
                 required closures.

• Impacted small businesses and impacted industry:
  – To mitigate financial hardship (i.e. support payroll and benefits, costs to retain employees, and mortgage, rent, utility and other operating costs.
  – Technical assistance, counseling, or other services to support business planning.
• Disproportionately impacted small businesses:
  – Rehabilitation of commercial properties, storefront improvements and facade improvements.
  – Technical assistance, business incubators and grants for start-up or expansion costs for small businesses.
  – Support for microbusinesses, including financial, childcare and transportation costs.

• Grants up to $25,000
• No application fee.
• Closing fee of $250.00, which can be included in the cash flow projections.