PROVIDENCE – R.I. Commerce Corp. is seeking proposals for the third installment of the Take It Outside grant program funded this time at $4.5 million to aid small businesses by funding support organizations in the state.
The program, which will be funded using part of the $119 million in American Rescue Plan Act dollars, provides up to $10,000 in grant funding for each eligible small business through support organizations.
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To be eligible, small businesses must have yielded less than $1 million in annual gross revenues in either 2020 or 2021 and can demonstrate a negative impact from the COVID-19 pandemic, such as supply chain delays or disruptions that negatively impacted operations.
Twenty percent of all grants awarded under the program are to be reserved to assist Rhode Island-based women and/or minority business enterprises.
The requests for proposals is for support organizations in the state, such as nonprofits, chambers of commerce, municipalities, etc., that would help local businesses to address needs associated with their outdoor spaces at their places of business.
The support organizations will aid businesses by providing them with funding for purchasing, obtaining, delivering or installing chairs, tables, heat lamps, tents and outdoor Wi-Fi systems, as well as for staffing, security, insurance costs related to outdoor activities, lighting, power sources, relevant signage and bike racks.
The Take It Outside initiative is part of McKee’s R.I. Rebounds program that also includes the Small Business Grant Program, which provides direct grants of $2,500 or $5,000 to eligible small businesses, and a new site acquisition fund to support the development of affordable housing.
“I am proud to support the Take It Outside initiative to continue helping our local businesses who have faced extraordinary challenges since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic,” McKee said. “This funding will go a long way in boosting our economy and keeping our momentum going. Thank you to all of our partners who step up to help our businesses thrive.”
R.I. Commerce Secretary Stefan Pryor said many Rhode Island businesses have addressed moving part of their business outside during the pandemic.
“As we continue to emerge from COVID-related challenges, these grants will help more small businesses take their activities outdoors, attracting additional customers, increasing revenues and boosting the economy,” Pryor said.
The initiative was rolled out during the pandemic, awarding grant funding to more than 100 intermediary organizations for a total of more than $6 million across two rounds of funding, one in 2020 and one in 2021.
Support organizations eligible to participate in the program include nonprofit organizations, chambers of commerce, municipalities, merchant associations, arts/cultural organizations, tourism regions, and businesses registered with the R.I. secretary of state that conduct operations within Rhode Island and are proposing to serve as intermediaries to businesses or other entities.
The deadline for proposals is March 10 at 2 p.m. Information about the Take It Outside initiative and the RFP requirements can be found at the R.I. Commerce Corp. website.
Cassius Shuman is a PBN staff writer. Contact him at Shuman@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter @CassiusShuman.
