SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh on Tuesday announced the opening of a winter round of grant funding through the Syracuse Economic Development Corporation (SEDCO) to help small businesses deal with any COVID-19 challenges.
The SEDCO COVID-19 small-business grant program will provide direct financial assistance to help small businesses make investments as the pandemic and winter weather converge.
Small businesses in the City of Syracuse with 50 or fewer employees are eligible for grants between $2,500 and $10,000. Neighborhood organizations that provide support to local small businesses are eligible for grants up to $25,000.
SEDCO expects to start announcing funding awards before Thanksgiving, per a Tuesday news release.
“Without help quickly, some of our small businesses won’t make it through the winter. They need to make changes to outdoor and indoor spaces to be able to serve customers in new ways or to upgrade their online ordering systems for curbside pickup and e-commerce for holiday shopping,” Walsh said. “SEDCO helped many small businesses withstand the early days of the pandemic, and I am pleased we are able to deploy its support again as winter approaches.”
Grant recipients can use the funds to purchase outdoor equipment such as tents, awnings, enclosures, or heaters. Qualifying purchases can include technology systems for online ordering and e-commerce.
Recipients can also use the funding for heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) upgrades and sanitizing supplies or equipment; marketing and advertising to promote takeout and online options; and indoor equipment to optimize social distancing and safe operations.
Neighborhood organizations can receive awards for similar investments made to support multiple local businesses.
Program details
Details on the program and applications can be found online at: www.syrgov.net/SEDCO_Home.aspx
Those interested can submit applications by email at business@syrgov.net or by mail to Syracuse Economic Development Corporation, 201 East Washington St., Suite, 612, Syracuse, 13202.