DULUTH, MN (KDAL) – The Northland Foundation reports it has awarded 3.8 million dollars in grants to 381 northeastern Minnesota small businesses that have been directly affected by COVID-19.
Including these state-funded awards, the foundation has administered more than $5.1 million in COVID-related relief grants since March 2020. In a typical year, the Northland Foundation awards grants totaling, on average, $1.25 million.
The Minnesota Small Business Relief Grants Program (SBRG) was a legislative response to the pandemic overseen through the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) beginning in June 2020.
Small businesses meeting the eligibility criteria were encouraged to apply for a $10,000 grant through DEED, which then selected potential recipients using a lottery process.
Following that first step, partners in this statewide effort, including the Northland Foundation in northeastern Minnesota, contacted finalists, reviewed documentation, checked against state databases, and other steps leading up to actually issuing the checks.
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