ASHLAND — The Ashland Chamber of Commerce has been “blessed financially” the past few years, so the entity decided to give back to its members with a new mini-grant program, chamber director of operations Amy Daubenspeck said.
“The whole thing about this is that it’s for, for-profit businesses, Daubenspeck said. “So often the nonprofits have all these different resources available to them for grants.
“So this is something we wanted to do for our small businesses that don’t normally have those types of resources.”
With the new program, chamber businesses that have been open for less than two years and have 25 or fewer employees can receive a matching grant up to $2,500 for internal or external improvements.
These improvements could be remodeling, new roofing, upgraded sprinkler systems, updated computer systems, safety equipment, and more, Daubenspeck said.
“It’s a pretty exhaustive list,” she said.
The deadline for grant applications is Feb. 28, and so far six businesses have applied.
A grant committee will review the applications and decide if a business should move on to round two of the program, which involves a final interview with the chamber. Any businesses selected to receive a grant will receive notification no later than March 31, according to the grant’s guidelines.
Businesses looking to apply for the grant can do so here.
