A total of $455,000 in grant funding distributed to support 235 local businesses

To help address lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and speed economic recovery, the City of Boulder dedicated a portion of its American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to provide one-time grants for local small businesses, including women- and minority-owned businesses, that continued to be negatively impacted by the pandemic.

The city launched two grant programs in June 2022, the Boulder ARPA Small Business Grant and the Boulder ARPA Child Care Business Grant, to support inclusive economic recovery.

Boulder ARPA Small Business Grants totaling $400,000 were awarded to 224 local small businesses in July 2022. While the number of eligible applications exceeded available funds, 85% of eligible applicants received a grant award of $1,000, $2,500 or $5,000. Many of the grants were made to businesses in industries or communities that experienced disproportionate impacts from the pandemic. More than half (53%) of the grants were awarded to restaurants or retail businesses and 57% of the grants were made to women- or minority-owned businesses.

Boulder ARPA Child Care Business Grants totaling $55,000 were awarded to 11 local child care businesses in August 2022. Just over one-third (36%) of the grants were awarded to women-owned businesses, including a bilingual preschool that serves “very low- to low-income families, specifically the underserved Spanish-speaking and immigrant population in the Boulder area,” as described by their website.

“The grants were designed to help facilitate economic recovery for local businesses, especially those most impacted by COVID-19,” said Economic Vitality Manager Jennifer Pinsonneault. “We are pleased that we were able to help so many local businesses, with the vast majority – eighty-seven percent - reporting a positive impact from the program.”

The full report is available online. More information about the city’s use of federal ARPA funding to support human services, economic recovery and city operations is available on the City of Boulder ARPA Dashboard.