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Objective:
The Main Street America Sub-award offered through the Thriving Communities Program (TCP) aims to enhance the technical assistance, planning, and capacity building support provided by the Main Street America (MSA) Capacity Building Team. This sub-award program encourages collaboration and innovative solutions to help address community-specific needs around comprehensive transportation projects that increase mobility, reduce pollution, expand affordable transportation options, and connect communities to the resources they need to help them thrive.
Eligibility:
Eligible communities must be participating in the Thriving Communities Program Main Street America Cohort to be eligible to receive sub-awards. Eligible communities must meet with the Main Street America TCP team and the US Department of Transportation TCP team to discuss prioritized ideas and opportunities for sub-award funds.
Sub-Award Amount:
$90,000 paid in three installments.
Installment #1 - 30%
Installment #2 - 50%
Installment #3 - 20%
Application Process:
1. Project Submission:
Communities must submit a sub-award application through Submittable; outlining their proposed use of funds and potential impact on community improvement, and how it relates to the original letter of interest submitted in the TCP award application.
2. Meeting with Review Committee:
All communities must schedule a meeting with the Review Committee made up of members of the Main Street America TCP team and the DOT TCP team to discuss and refine prioritized ideas and opportunities for sub-award funds.
3. Final Proposal Submission:
Communities will submit a comprehensive proposal detailing the intended use of funds, expected outcomes, and a budget breakdown.
4. Evaluation Criteria:
Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
- Alignment with TCP objectives
- Feasibility and sustainability of proposed initiatives
- Demonstrated community involvement and support
- Innovative and collaborative approaches
Sub-award Options:
Sub-awards may fall into one of the following categories. Other project areas as defined by the community will be accepted if approved by the sub-award review committee (MSA and US DOT).
Bucket 1 - Grant Readiness: A project proposal in this bucket is intended to strengthen previous unsuccessful grant application submissions and/or develop the components to strengthen future applications. Project proposals may include:
- Preliminary engineering report
- Environmental assessment
- Community engagement
- Equity engagement strategies (communication, outreach, translation)
- Visual/supporting materials for grant application
- Modeling and data analytics
Bucket 2 - Demonstration Project: A project proposal in this bucket can be categorized as professional services towards demonstration project-type activities. Demonstration project proposals may include:
- Design/install/construct traffic calming or safety project
- Placemaking improvements
- Community demonstration to make progress towards TCP LOI goal
- Planning activity beyond scope of TCP
- Civic participation or community engagement
Bucket 3 - Capacity Support: A project proposal in this bucket supports existing staff by hiring additional staff or contracting capacity above and beyond existing available staff members. Capacity support proposals may include:
- Temporary, fellowship, apprenticeship, internship or contract staff to assist with capacity (role must support transportation-related project approved by the sub-award review committee)
- Management, technical, or support staff to manage grant administration and meet federal oversight and project management requirements
- A portion of existing grant administration/administrative costs can be requested
Bucket 4: Grant Support: A project proposal in this bucket is to support efforts to increase the amount of grant funding in a community, as well as the execution of recently awarded grants. Grant support proposals may include:
- Grant funding identification
- Grant writing and application development
- Day to day grant management of federal grants
- Grant project execution
Other: A project proposal that does not fall into the above buckets but that meets the program requirements and has received prior approval from the review committee.
Reporting:
Awardee will be required to submit a PROGRESS REPORT and a FINAL REPORT from the time the first installment of the sub-award is funded until such time as the project is completed. Reports must be submitted electronically. The reports shall describe all progress made towards the project completion, predetermined milestone progress, demonstrated community involvement and support, and equitable engagement strategies that help address community-specific needs around comprehensive transportation projects. The last of these reports will be the FINAL REPORT.
In addition, the awardee will be required to submit a GENERAL SPENDING LEDGER and RECEIPTS to verify that the project spending matches the project budget and a narrative on how the funding is building capacity in the selected Thriving Communities Program participants.
Expenditure of Funds:
All funds must be expended by May 31, 2025. This is to allow for final reporting on the measurement of success for your community as a participant in the US DOT Thriving Communities Program. If milestones are not met or funds are not expended, a community may be asked to return funds that had been previously dispersed.
Program Description
In 2021, American Express and Main Street America created the Backing Small Businesses grant program to help under-resourced and economically vulnerable small business owners recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and grow their businesses. In its first year, the program awarded $1.65 million in grants to 330 small business owners nationwide, and in its second year the program awarded over $2.3 million in grants to an additional 350 businesses.
Now in its third year, the program will increase grants awarded and double total funding to more than $5.7 million to further support under-resourced and economically vulnerable small business owners in building their economic vitality and fostering a thriving community. In March 2024, applications will open for 500 small business grants of $10,000 to eligible businesses in the U.S. and U.S. territories.
Of the 500 recipients selected for $10,000 grants, a limited subset of 25 recipients will be awarded $30,000 Enhancement Grants, which will allow those business owners the opportunity to create transformative change within their business and in their community (for example, by giving back, partnering with community members, addressing cultural, environmental and/or access needs in their community, opening a new location and/or adding staffing). Recipients of the $10,000 grant will be required to submit a final grant report using a template provided. In addition to questions regarding the completed project, the report will include prompts on how the business would use the $30,000 Enhancement Grant. Enhancement Grant project proposals can be related to the $10,000 grant proposal or they may constitute a separate project.
Please note that project proposals for the $10,000 grant application should be feasible to complete with only the $10,000 award. The $30,000 Enhancement Grants are available only to recipients of the initial $10,000 grant who successfully complete their projects. Enhancement Grant project proposals are completed separately, through the final grant report for the initial $10,000 grant.
For a full list of FAQs and Terms, please see our program website.
What types of businesses are eligible?
Businesses must meet the following criteria to apply:
- The applicant must be an owner of the business.
- The applicant must be at least age 18 years or older.
- The business must be in a "bricks-and-mortar" location and operate in an older or historic main street, downtown, or commercial district in the United States. The business must have occupied their current bricks-and-mortar location since January 1, 2024. (Home-based businesses, even those located in historic neighborhoods, are not eligible. Brick and mortar businesses located outside of historic downtowns and commercial corridors, including, but not limited to, office parks and shopping malls are also not eligible.)
- The business must be an independent business and not part of a franchise.
- The business must employ 20 or less full time employees.
- The business must have been in operation on or before January 1, 2023.
- The business must be a business entity in good standing in the state in which it was formed and the state in which it does business.
- The business must have an active business license, if required by state or local government. (Applicants may be asked to provide documentation if selected.)
What types of grant expenses are eligible?
Eligible grant expenses include but are not limited to:
- Accessibility Upgrades (Examples: ramp, menu translation, accessible website redesign for visually impaired people, etc.)
- Community Events and Programs (Examples: open mic night, public educational/training workshops, hosting community fund raisers, partnerships with other small businesses)
- Equipment and Inventory (Examples: point of sale device/software, purchasing of items for sale, display cases, kitchen equipment)
- Marketing (Examples: investing in social media campaign, building a website, etc.)
- Operational Strategy (Examples: branding package, accounting software, business coaching, and other types of support that would increase the viability of your business)
- Physical Improvements (Examples: signage, awnings, painting facade, new shelving, new lighting, etc.)
- Sustainability Upgrades (Examples: solar panels, rain garden adjacent to business, investing in reusable/compostable/recyclable packaging alternatives, etc.)
- Technology Upgrades (Examples: building an online storefront, online ordering system, or other e-commerce platform)
- Utilities (Note: Must not be more than $2000 or 20% of the requested funds)
Note that payroll expenses are not eligible.
How will recipients be chosen?
Applications will be reviewed based on:
Feasibility:
- Proposed project must be completed with $10,000 grant by September 9, 2024.
Need:
- What are the business’s net sales?
- What are some of the systemic challenges the business is facing? Applicants will be asked to explain the context of the business. For example: is the business experiencing skilled staffing shortages, supply chain issues, and/or high bank loan interest rates?
Impact:
- Applicants should demonstrate both need for financial support and viability of their business to successfully make an impact with a grant. How much will a grant impact the business itself in leveraging sales, grow their customer base, or better sustain the business in some way?
Community Reach:
- How involved is the applicant’s small business in their community? How much would the business serve a community-specific need through a grant?
Completing Your Application
Please respond to application questions in English, even if you are using a translation tool or guide to read the questions or instructional text. It should take about 20-30 minutes to complete this form. As you work through it, the application should auto-save. Please review the application questions in advance and keep a separate record of your answers, in case your work is not saved on the form prior to submission. We cannot accept changes to your application once it has been submitted, so please review it carefully. All non-public business and financial information provided in the application will be kept confidential. Finalists considered for an award may be contacted by Main Street America for additional information, including financial statements, before being selected as a recipient.
Program Timeline
- Applications Open on 9 a.m. CT on March 14, 2024
- Applications Close at 11:59 p.m. CT on April 7, 2024 (or once 5,000 applications have been submitted, if that occurs before April 7, so early submitting is encouraged)
- Grant Recipients Notified by mid-June 2024
- Grant Funds Spending Deadline at 11:59 p.m. CT on September 9, 2024.
- Grant Reports Due by September 16, 2024
Small Business Resources
This program marks the latest effort in American Express’ “Backing Small” initiative to provide financial support and resources to independent small business owners who are serving their communities. Other Backing Small programs include Backing Historic Small Restaurants and Backing International Historical Small Restaurants. Backing Small complements American Express’ Shop Small, a global year-round effort to champion small, independent businesses.
Backing Small Businesses is one of many grant programs administered by Main Street America that are designed to enhance economic vitality and foster entrepreneurship in historic neighborhoods and commercial districts. For more information about funding opportunities through Main Street America and its partner organizations, please visit our Funding Opportunities webpage.
Main Street Business Insights Podcast
Every Wednesday, tune into the Main Street Business Insights podcast, highlighting downtown and neighborhood entrepreneurs succeeding along Main Street. Learn about the innovative ways that these Main Street businesses have overcome adversity and the advice they have for others on how to keep their businesses on track.
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This free assessment tool was designed by industry experts to provide consultative recommendations to businesses of all stages and ages with 20 or fewer employees in the following sectors: Retail, Service Providers, Food & Beverage.
Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Building
Supported by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, this resource center provides tools and information on building greater local support systems around entrepreneurs and small business owners.
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For questions, email SmallBizGrant@savingplaces.org or text/call (708) 515-4889 to leave a voice message. Please allow up to 2 business days for a response. If you encounter technical issues with the Submittable website (eg. issues with logging-in), please contact Submittable's support services directly.
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