Small business owners in Districts 2 and 4 can now apply for up to $5,000 in grants from the annual Mom and Pop Small Business Grant Program. The Grant Program was created to provide financial and technical assistance to qualified small businesses that are approved for funding. This program has allowed small owned and operated businesses the opportunity to interact with local government under favorable conditions ultimately bridging the gap between the two entities.

District 2: Completed applications will be accepted from February 3rd - February 10th by 4:00 p.m.

District 4: Completed applications will be accepted February 1st - February 19th no later than 12:00 p.m.

The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is a federally-funded program that helps low-income households pay for cooling or heating their homes.  LIHEAP is providing COVID-19 crisis assistance to qualified Miami-Dade County residents who are experiencing a hardship in paying their home energy bill due to the pandemic.

Miami-based REEF Technology and its subsidiary REEF Neighborhood Kitchens recently announced that applications for its NBRHD Restaurant Development Program are open. The $1 million program provides a $10,000 marketing campaign and other services through the platform for REEF’s Neighborhood Kitchens, a national delivery-only network of 100+ neighborhood kitchens around the U.S. The NBRHD Restaurant Development Program launches in Miami and will scale to other selected markets,

Community lenders serving minority and women-owned businesses will have exclusive access to a new pot of Paycheck Protection Program loans for at least two days when the next round of money becomes available, according to new rules from the Small Businesses Administration. Read Article.

CareerSource South Florida (CSSF) announces the COVID-19 Layoff Aversion Fund, which is designed to provide support to small businesses and/or community based organizations (CBOs) within Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties, facing financial impacts and potential layoffs from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The funds will be provided as a reimbursable grant to small businesses and/or CBOs experiencing economic distress. The goals of the fund are to prevent potential layoffs or minimize the duration of unemployment resulting from layoffs due COVID-19.  

Eligible businesses and/or CBOs may receive up to $10,000.00 in COVID-19 Layoff Aversion Fund grant funds. CSSF will utilize the following scale to award grants:

• 3–10 employees up to $5,000.00
• 11–25 employees up to $7,500.00
• 26–50 employees up to $10,000.00

For further details Career Source South Florida. 

FPL is excited to announce the Florida Public Service Commission has approved the Main Street Recovery Credit Program aimed towards providing credits to qualifying small businesses that have been impacted by the pandemic.

Qualifying small businesses would receive a monthly 10% credit on the energy charge portion of their electric bill for the duration of the program. The company will implement the FPL Main Street Recovery Credit Program for qualifying small businesses in January and offer bill credits through the end of 2021. Establishments in FPL’s service area that are eligible to apply for the program include new small businesses, small businesses that were inactive for at least six months in 2020, and existing small businesses operating in federal Opportunity Zones in FPL’s service area. Beginning next month, interested businesses can apply for the program here.  

The Miami-Dade Beacon Council is working together with Miami-Dade County, the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) and other partner organizations to help our business community. We are prepared to assist your business during this period of hardship.  Assistance includes: 

• Identifying additional financial resources (grants and low interest loans) 
• Support with the application process/documentation requirements for approval  
• Referrals to business partners offering free and/or discounted assistance including Accounting/Payroll/Record Keeping, B2B Referrals/Opportunities, Marketing Support, Strategy & Business Plan Development Coaching, and more! 

To be referred to a business technical assistance partner, please complete the Small Business Needs Assessment Survey. 

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.

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.