Rochester’s Keep it Local, COVID-19 Innovators Grant Program

Collaborators 

Lead Organization: City of Rochester, MN, DMC EDA, Rochester Downtown Alliance

Contact: TBD ; Email: TBD ; Phone: TBD

Known/Likely Collaborators: City of Rochester, MN ; DMC EDA ; Rochester Downtown Alliance

Potential Collaborators:

Related Projects

Impacts 

Major Impact:  COVID-19

PlanScape Impacts :

Level 1: Economic Development, Funding, Governance/Public Policy, Pandemic

Level 2:

DMC Impacts:

Community Health Impacts:

Type of Project

Special  

The COVID-19 crisis has presented many challenges to Rochester’s small business community and has also inspired quick and creative innovation and collaboration. The City of Rochester has approved $50,000 in grant funds to help Rochester-based small businesses and organizations that are helping each other respond, adapt, and strengthen Rochester’s economy for the future. Destination Medical Center is making an additional $50,000 available for businesses located in the DMC/EDA geographic area.

HOW IT WORKS:

A small business or organization within Rochester applies for the Keep it Local grant for a specific service to be paid to another small business or service provider (or team of providers) within Rochester. The projects should help a business respond to COVID-19 in the short term and grow in a new way in the long term. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Payments will be made to the applicant business, and applicant businesses will pay service providers.

Need help determining the best project for your business? Contact SCORE or SBDC for free or low-cost business coaching. 

APPLY:

Review the grant details and application process below and apply here. The next batch of application reviews will begin following a deadline of Friday, May 1, 2020.

List of local service providers

LINK

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May 2024 DMCC Board Meeting and City, County, DMC Joint Meeting

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2Q 2024: June 2024; May 2024 - Admin Message, TBE Report; April 2024 - Admin Message, TBE Report

1Q 2024: Feb 2024 - Admin Message, TBE Report; Jan 2024: Admin Message, TBE Report

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