On Thursday, 7/16/20, Miami-Dade County commissioners approved a $30 million grant program to boost the county's small restaurants. The Hospitality Industry Grant Program authorizes establishment of a County Attorney $35,000,000.00 business grant program for hospitality industry relief from the 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act Coronavirus Relief fund, to provide financial support and assistance to local independently owned and operated restaurants and non-home based caterers impacted by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic; approving term sheet for grant agreement by and among Miami-Dade County, the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, and Florida International University Chaplin School to provide an amount not to exceed $5,000,000.00 in funds from the business grant program to the Hospitality Industry Relief Fund to assist eligible establishments that have had to temporarily cease operations, lay off or furlough employees, or whose businesses have been severely diminished due to the COVID-19 pandemic; and directing County Mayor to negotiate and execute the grant agreement and to provide reports. This grant program comes just over a week after Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez issued an emergency order closing indoor dining rooms for all restaurants in the county to curb the spread of the Covid-19 virus.

BizHelp.Miami connects you directly to additional funding resources and local lenders that are still taking applications, featuring partners ready to help walk you through the application process step-by-step and FREE of charge. Need more help? Explore the Business Technical Assistance section for dozens of resources, many of which are pro bono. Site available in English, Spanish & Kreyol so log on today!

Black Enterprise is excited to announce a new partnership with Chase for Business to offer Advancing Black Entrepreneurs — a timely education program designed to help Black business owners recover and move forward in the wake of the current global pandemic. Joining them in this important effort are National Minority Supplier Development Council, National Urban League and the US Black Chambers, Inc.  Together, they’ve developed a series of information-packed sessions – the first of which focuses on Reclaiming the Future: How Your Business Can Rise to the Challenges of COVID-19. This ninety-minute guided digital session, offered at no cost, will cover various topics that will offer financial guidance and expertise needed for businesses to grow.  Join them on August 14th at 12:00 p.m., to register click here.

To help businesses quickly improve their online presence, Think with Google in introducing Grow My Store: a free and effective way for retailers to get actionable tips on how to improve their online store and understand how they are doing compared to peers in the industry. Businesses can get started here.

Recently, Google hosted a livestream where they outlined steps that job seekers can take to find and organize new job opportunities using Google Search and G Suite tools. They also discussed strategies to enhance resumes, tips to communicate effectively online, and best practices for virtual interviews. Interested in watching, sharing, or hosting a viewing party around this content? Learn more here.

BizHelp.Miami is a one-stop portal featuring information about and access to the local, state and federal resources small businesses need in order to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus. Powered by the Miami-Dade Beacon Council, the County's official economic development partner, the site features access to approved lenders, additional funding options ranging from loans to grants, and a vetted list of community partners that are ready, willing and able to help you better understand and successfully navigate the funding resources available to Miami-Dade small businesses, sole proprietors and independent contractors.

The NMCRA Board approved another $600,000 in funding for an additional 120 businesses (240 total) to receive the Emergency Relief to Jump Start Businesses. This one-time grant provides up to $5,000 to businesses only within the North Miami CRA boundaries for future operational expenses, including: rent, payroll, communications, utilities, etc. Funds will come into effect once the disaster declaration has been lifted, but small businesses can apply for the loan immediately. Candidates must have been denied for the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Disaster Loan and Florida Disaster Loan programs. It is necessary for applicants to provide documentation of the application with receipt.

Commissioner Eileen Higgins has worked closely with Mayor Carlos Gimenez and his team to develop the RISE Miami-Dade Fund, a transformative revolving loan fund which initially seeks to help small and micro businesses across the County access capital and receive the technical financial assistance they need to weather the COVID-19 crisis. But in the longer term, it will become part of Miami-Dade’s permanent small business infrastructure. This fund will be for the peluquería in Little Havana, the flower shop in Cutler Bay, and the Haitian bakery in North Miami. It’s for the small businesses that not only make Miami special, but act as the drivers of our local economy.

Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners created a $5 million Small Business Assistance Forgivable Loan Program (SBAFLP) utilizing the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds allocated through the Federal Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).  The loans will be up to $25,000, with 0% interest and no origination fees. The "forgivable" feature of the loan’s rests on the ability of the small business borrower to retain jobs that are held by those of low or moderate income, meaning those who earn less than 80% of the annual Area Median Income. In Miami-Dade County, the annual AMI for a single person is $51,200.  To be eligible, the small business must meet certain criteria such as: having no more than 25 employees, providing some evidence of being impacted by COVID-19, and not previously having received assistance from other special COVID-19 programs, such as the federal Paycheck Protection Program. Click here to learn more.  For more details, contact  Partners for Self-Employment and Tools for Change Tools for Change.

Presented by The Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) on behalf of Verizon & Sam’s Club.  Through funding from Verizon and Sam’s Club, the LISC is offering $10,000 grants to help small businesses fill urgent financial gaps. Click here for more details.

The mission of the FSMSDC is to link corporations and government agencies with Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) to foster business development and expansion. They continue to monitor the developments related to COVID-19, please visit FSMSDC regularly for updates on their virtual events, programs and services.

BBIF Florida is a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), private non-profit loan fund that specializes in providing loans and financial technical assistance services to Black, minority & underserved small businesses throughout Florida.  

Accion is the largest nationwide nonprofit lending network in the United States. We provide fair and flexible loans, connections to business experts, and access to resources and opportunities specifically tailored to each business owner’s unique needs and goals.  Your South Florida contact is Fabiana Estrada, Director of Lending SE Region festrada@accioneast.com 305 699 0985. 

The situation sparked by COVID-19 (Coronavirus) is serious and quickly evolving, making the timely dissemination of actionable intelligence essential. The Beacon Council is committed to safeguarding the health and wellness of the community, and the local economy as a whole. They are gathering some of the latest, most relevant information and resources available for our business owners and workforce, updating their page on a regular basis.  Please email any Coronavirus-related questions directly to the team at BeaconHelp@BeaconCouncil.com or visit them at Beacon Council.

Whether you are a budding entrepreneur or a seasoned professional willing to share your expertise, Accelerate South Dade is there to unleash innovation and economic development in South Dade.  By supporting the work of entrepreneurial start-ups and small business owners in South Dade, Accelerate South Dade strives to spark growth creative local and inject a new level of energy, vitality, and dynamism into the local economy. For further details contact Danilo Vargas (786) 732-0774, dvargas@nanafl.org and visit Accelerate South Dade.

One of the largest and oldest Hispanic business organizations in Florida and one of the most influential minority business groups in the U.S. For more than four decades, their mission has been to foster the entrepreneurial spirit of Florida’s Hispanic and minority communities, and as such, it conducts programs to strengthen local business activity, promote economic development, facilitate international commerce, and serve the civic needs of the community. Through its Hemispheric Congress, CAMACOL provides businesses with the opportunity to establish commercial linkages in the international marketplace.

The Miami Dade Chamber of Commerce has business resources available to include the Micro Loan program. The mission of M-DCC is to create opportunities for economic and social transformation in our community. Please visit their website for more information. 

As part of its Business Disaster Recovery Assistance efforts, the Florida SBDC has compiled a listing of national, private sector funding opportunities designed to meet short-term business needs during this pandemic. Additional resources are added as they become available, so check back often.

The Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival presented by Capital One (SOBEWFF®) has launched the SOBEWFF® & FIU Chaplin School Hospitality Industry Relief Fund to provide immediate financial support to independently owned and operated restaurants and bars impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties. The Fund has launched with an initial $1 million, including a founding donation of $500,000 from the Festival’s benefiting charity, Florida International University’s (FIU) Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, along with significant additional financial support from Founding Partners. Financial support will enable those owners to provide continuity of compensation and other benefits to employees who have been furloughed, laid off or whose incomes have been significantly reduced due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information, to donate to the fund, or to apply for a relief grant, please visit SOBEWFF Industry Relief Fund.

The Miami Foundation established The Community Recovery Fund providing critical help to Miami-Dade nonprofits, including arts, culture and humanities organizations. The Miami Foundation has seeded the Fund with a $300,000 contribution. The Knight Foundation has added $250,000 to the Fund. For more information, visit The Miami Foundation.

The challenges posed by the Coronavirus pandemic are as widespread as they are unprecedented, and The Children’s Trust is committed to doing its part by safeguarding and providing critical services and resources for all children and families in Miami-Dade County. As such, The Children’s Trust is working with community partners and service providers to ensure there are childcare options, resources and appropriate activities available for families who may need them. Click here to learn more.