Brief Description:

Charlotte Center City Small Business Innovation Fund

The Charlotte Center City Small Business Innovation Fund will make grants to small businesses to spur innovation and adaptation to the new reality of economic life with a highly contagious virus. Small businesses will need to invest in supplies, training, design, technology, operations, infrastructure or furnishings to adapt their operations or business models. Many will need to pivot their business model. Businesses will need to innovate to stay competitive and advance.

Description:

Charlotte Center City Small Business Innovation Fund

Center City is fortunate to have hundreds of restaurants, breweries, bakeries, coffee shops, salons, retailers, food trucks and other small businesses. Together, these businesses create the vibrancy and character that residents, visitors, workers, and major employers crave, and they distinguish Center City as an essential economic engine for the region.

Supporting storefront small business entrepreneurs as they navigate the new economic reality will make all the difference in our success and future competitiveness as an urban economy.

The Charlotte Center City Small Business Innovation Fund will make grants to small businesses to spur innovation and adaptation to the new reality of economic life with a highly contagious virus. Small businesses will need to invest in supplies, training, design, technology, operations, infrastructure or furnishings to adapt their operations or business models. Many will need to pivot their business model. Businesses will need to innovate to stay competitive and advance.

This fund is part of our Charlotte Center City Small Business Adaptation & Resilience Program to help small businesses innovate to adapt, reopen, and recover. Grants up to $40,000 will be made in the second round.

Eligibility:

Small businesses must either have an existing physical location or is expanding its business in Uptown, South End, Midtown, Historic West End, or within the 2-mile radius of the Trade and Tryon Street intersection in Charlotte, NC. (see map)
The business headquarters is located within the Charlotte region
The business had 50 employees (full and part-time) or fewer as of March 1, 2020
The business experienced adverse impacts due to the COVID-19 pandemic
The business is willing to participate in interviews to document and share their lessons learned

Priority To:

Businesses with an existing physical location or is expanding their business in Uptown, South End, Midtown, or Historic West End
Minority, women or veteran-owned businesses
Storefront businesses that create unique experiences
Innovations and adaptations with potential to replicate and scale or create multi-sector collaborations

Application Timeline:

September 2nd: Pre-application conference to provide insights and answer questions about the process
September 4th: Second round applications will open at noon
September 18th: First round of applications will close at noon

Please note that this is a competitive program and applications are anticipated to exceed dollars available.

For additional information about eligibility and requirements, please visit www.charlottecentercity.org/innovationfund/.

If you have questions about the application, please contact cccpinnovationfund@fftc.org.