CITY OF TACOMA SMALL BUSINESS RENEWAL GRANT

Do I qualify if my business has a Tacoma mailing address?
The grant requirement is that the business property being repaired with this grant be located within the Tacoma city-limits; there are Tacoma mailing addresses outside of the city limits that would not qualify. Please Verify Address before submitting application.

Can any business apply?
A business that is an independent locally owned, non-chain business, open to the general public, with no less than $1,000 and no more than $2,000,000 in annual net revenue, has no more than 30 FTE (full-time equivalent) employees, and has a property – or a lease that requires them to maintain damage to the property or make tenant improvements – that has been damaged by crime or vandalism (police report may be requested in some cases) or needs a qualifying tenant improvement to enhance market share.

What can this grant be used for?
Damage Repair – This grant will offset costs to repair one occurrence of damage to a façade/store front on commercial property within Tacoma city limits. Examples include, but not be limited to, broken or etched windows, doors, locks, gates. Not covered are graffiti removal, paint, or stolen goods.
Impact Upgrade – This grant is for an eligible tenant improvement to a physical location for the (non-homebased) business within Tacoma city limits. Examples include, but not limited to, grease interceptor, safety upgrades (window security film, lighting), ADA access, curbside seating, takeout window, etc. This grant is for a project initiated after January 1, 2022, that is complete or demonstrates project readiness (including already active in permit process) and able to complete by July 30, 2024. Lease holders must be responsible for TI by lease or have property owner approval.

Can I get reimbursed for a repair or tenant improvements that I already paid for?
Yes, you may submit an application for storefront damage or necessary tenant improvement as far back as January 1, 2022. You will need to provide receipts for expenses or documentation if you are requesting reimbursement for insurance deductible.

Can I get reimbursed for repairs or improvements that are not yet done?
Yes, however, the project needs to be completed by July 30, 2024 and eligibility paperwork with receipts/estimates must be submitted by that deadline

Can I apply for more than one grant?
This fund is limited. An individual with no more than two locations anywhere, can submit only one application for a location that is within Tacoma city limits; only one grant per business, business owner, EIN, SSN, UBI number, business license number, or business address will be funded.

Can I apply if I already received a Window Replacement grant?
Storefront vandalism damage has, unfortunately, occurred more than once at several businesses. If you have already received a Window Replacement grant – or Covid relief funds – you may apply for this grant. This fund is limited, and preference may be given to those that have not yet received funding. Duplication of benefit is not allowed, meaning you may not receive this grant to cover expenses already covered by other Covid-relief or insurance funds.

How will the grant recipients be selected?
As with most all grants, the demand will likely exceed the funds available so the recipients will be chosen per the following:

• Damage Repair grant recipients will be selected by random lottery
• Impact Upgrade improvement grant awardees and grant amounts will be based on viability (owner experience), project readiness, and impact (community), with preference provided for low- and very low-equity opportunity areas.

When will applicants be notified?
All applicants, whether they were selected as grant recipients or not, will be notified by April 12, 2024.

If my business is selected, how long will it take to receive payment?
The application process does not require eligibility verification paperwork upfront, so it will be collected from those selected. Once all paperwork is correctly submitted, there is a 30-day standard for payment processing. We try to process quicker, if possible, but you can anticipate getting payment within 30 days.

Where can I get more information if I have questions?
Information and the online grant application is at MakeItTacoma.com starting March 13, 2024.

Free workshops for grant applicants will be held virtually on March 19, 2024 at 3:30 PM and March 25, 2024 at 10 AM . Each workshop is one hour long and allows for Q&A. Interested individuals are asked to pre-register by emailing RenewalGrant@cityoftacoma.org to receive a Zoom link

For other questions or assistance regarding this Small Business Renewal Grant application, please contact RenewalGrant@cityoftacoma.org or 253-591-5208