A new fund created through a partnership between the City of Kalamazoo and United Way will help city-based small businesses afford protective measures that keep workers and customers safe from COVID-19.

United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region (UWBCKR) will administer the fund, known as the Kalamazoo Small Business Health Protection Grants, or KSBHPG. The fund provides reimbursements in the form of grants up to $2,500 to qualified small businesses within city limits. The dollars will help offset the cost of personal protective equipment (PPE, such as face masks, latex gloves and face shields) and other expenses that reduce the risk of infection so businesses can remain open.

“Small businesses are shouldering a huge financial burden due to the pandemic, and many don’t have the resources to hold on long-term,” said Chris Sargent, President and CEO of UWBCKR. “We’re grateful that the City has stepped up to help once again and is counting on our grant-making expertise to get that help to the businesses that need it most.”

The City of Kalamazoo has awarded UWBCKR resources to reimburse up to $2,500 to a minimum of 75 eligible small businesses through the KSBHPG. According to Antonio Mitchell, Community Investment Manager for the City of Kalamazoo, the City knows small businesses are the lifeblood of the local economy, providing jobs for thousands of residents. That means helping small businesses succeed is vital for local individuals and families.

“The City of Kalamazoo is here to help and proud to support these efforts to keep our community safe,” said Mitchell. “By preventing the spread of COVID-19 in Kalamazoo, these investments protect all of us and allow us to continue supporting Kalamazoo’s local businesses safely.”

Qualified small businesses can submit documented expenses to the KSBHPG fund for reimbursement up to $2,500. Eligible costs include PPE purchases; routine environmental cleaning; education and training materials on safe practices for employees; signage and informational materials on safe practices for employees and customers; daily in-person or virtual health checks, including symptom and temperature screening, before entering a facility; changes to work areas, processes and procedures; modifications to ventilation systems; and other purchases that promote healthy and human safety.

Businesses that are eligible for grants must meet these criteria:

• 50 or fewer full-time employees;
• Business is located within the city limits of Kalamazoo;
• $2.5 million or less in annual revenue;
• Certified to do business as of February 15, 2020 and is current on local and state taxes;
• In business a minimum of one year prior to the date of application.

Sargent pointed out that many of these businesses employ lower-income workers who can’t endure a lengthy job loss or furlough. That includes many women- and BIPOC-owned (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) small businesses that help drive the local economy.

“Helping these businesses succeed is good for the local economic base, good for financially vulnerable families, and good for strengthening a more diverse and equitable foundation for businesses in Kalamazoo,” he said. “United Way is proud to be the key connection for local small businesses to get help and get through these challenging times.”

In addition to KSBHPG, United Way and the City partnered on the Kalamazoo Small Business Loan Fund earlier this year. That fund, established with a $2 million grant from the Foundation For Excellence, provided low-interest loans to help small businesses pay employees during the statewide shutdown. Thus far the loan fund has provided 76 loans worth $1,350,600 to 97 small businesses in Kalamazoo. The fund still has some dollars remaining for eligible businesses in need.

To learn more or to apply to either the Kalamazoo Small Business Health Protection Grant or the Kalamazoo Small Business Loan Fund, go to changethestory.org/kalamazoo-small-business-support and select one of those options. You can also email smallbusiness@uwbckr.org.