Pandemic-related mini grants available to small businesses. 

Pandemic-related mini grants available to small businesses. 

To bolster the community’s response and recovery strategy to COVID-19, the Ludington & Scottville Area Chamber of Commerce is offering mini-grants to support locally owned, small businesses in Mason County. 

Businesses that have been impacted by the pandemic can submit applications for funding at ludington.org/minigrants starting today, Oct. 15, 2021. 

The mini-grants are funded through a DTE Energy contribution, awarded to the Ludington & Scottville Area Chamber of Commerce, in these categories:

• Business operations mini-grants have a maximum award value of $2,500 per business applicant to use for operational upgrades, such as building safety enhancements to encourage social distancing, personal protective equipment for employees and customers, adjustments to air or filtration systems, or other costs associated with the enactment of COVID-19 specific operations plans.

• Technology upgrades mini-grants have a maximum award value of $1,000 per business applicant to use for items like point-of-sale terminals or systems, including contactless payment systems, touchless entry and exit for a physical business location, temperature screening, and technology needs for the enactment of COVID-19 specific operations plans.

• Compliance issues mini-grants have a maximum award value of $1,000 per business applicant to use for expenses, such as legal support or guidance for operations during COVID-19, consulting support for operations during COVID-19, and expenses for the preparation of variance requests to public health agencies.

Businesses may apply in multiple categories but must submit a separate application for each category through the grant application at ludington.org/minigrants.

To be eligible, businesses must meet the following criteria:

• 25 or fewer employees
• Physical business must be located within Mason County (no home-based businesses, except for childcare facilities)
• Businesses must have primarily in-person customer interactions
• Open as of December 31, 2019 or prior
• Ability to demonstrate the need for grant funds due to the impact of COVID-19
• Only locally owned franchises may apply
• Funds cannot be used for payroll, mortgage, rent, utilities, etc. 
• Chamber membership is not a requirement to apply or be awarded funds.

Awarded funds may be used to reimburse costs incurred since January 1, 2021, as well as future costs, as outlined in the grant category. 

Please contact Brandy Miller at brandyh@ludington.org for more information. Application deadline is 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 22.