FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 31, 2022
Media Contact –
Roxanne Lundy
Storefront Manager
roxannelundy@downtownraleigh.org
919.821.6977
DRA Storefront Upfit Grant Now Accepting Applications
Nine Downtown Raleigh Businesses Were Awarded Grants In 2021-2022, Totaling Over $60,000 In Funding
RALEIGH, N.C. – Downtown Raleigh Alliance announced today that it is now accepting Storefront Upfit Grant interest forms and applications for the 2022-2023 grant year which begins in July 2022. The deadline to submit an application for review in the first funding round of the new grant year is July 1, 2022. Up-to-three additional funding rounds and application deadlines are planned throughout the July-to-June fiscal year.
Grants are available to reimburse new and expanding downtown storefront businesses for upfit expenses (e.g. construction-related items) and one-time standup expenses (e.g. point-of-sale systems), and offers reimbursement grants at tiers of up to $7,500, $5,000, and $2,500. Businesses that are 50% or more Minority- or Woman-owned may apply for an additional $2,500 in funding. The maximum funding available per eligible business is $10,000. A list of eligibility tiers and map of the eligible area for funding is available on the DRA website.
DRA has seen a history of success with its small business resource programs. Between 2020 and 2021, DRA awarded more than 100 grants totaling nearly $400,000 to small, locally-owned businesses in Downtown Raleigh to help them pivot or expand during the pandemic. Included within those figures are nine Storefront Upfit Grants awarded in the 2021-2022 fiscal year totaling $60,000 awarded to new and expanding downtown storefront businesses in the previous grant year.
The Storefront Upfit Grant program’s purpose is to support a healthy storefront economy in Downtown Raleigh by providing funding for retail, restaurant, and service businesses to incentivize and attract new businesses, aid in the expansion of existing retail businesses, direct additional resources to support strategic areas of downtown, accommodate pop-up uses that may convert to long-term tenants, and better support Minority- and Women-owned businesses in downtown.
Eligibility information for the Storefront Upfit Grant, as well as process timeline and application materials can be found at https://downtownraleigh.org/storefront-upfit-grant.
About Downtown Raleigh Alliance
DRA’s mission is advancing the vitality of Downtown Raleigh for everyone. DRA facilitates this mission through five goals: 1) Building a culture of authentic engagement and inclusion with downtown’s diverse community; 2) Fostering a thriving and diverse storefront economy; 3) Facilitating strategic partnerships to produce positive, balanced activations across downtown; 4) Improving physical connectivity and accessibility within and around downtown; 5) Positioning DRA as reliable, responsive, representative, and mission-directed.
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