Grants and in-kind technical assistance to Colorado businesses in eligible locations to support Coronavirus (COVID-19) recovery and promote future resilience. Funding is intended to assist local small businesses that have been impacted by the pandemic. Businesses may receive stabilization grants, activation grants, anti-displacement grants, and technical support through the program. Requests will be accepted from qualifying applicants located in the City and County of Denver.

Small businesses need support, technical assistance, and tools to support their recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, and to withstand future economic shocks. Recognizing this, Denver is implementing the Business Impact Opportunity Fund, a program that provides strong and efficient support to small businesses as they work on bouncing back from the economic strife caused by the public health crisis.

This program is designed to address specific challenges faced by small businesses that have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 public health crisis and who, as a result, often more severely experience these challenges and systemic barriers. These challenges include:

• Involuntary business displacement
  
• Mitigation of construction impacts
• Operating challenges
• Community activation and safety

The following are the types of grants the program provides.

Stabilization Grants

Mitigate specific operating challenges exacerbated by the pandemic, such as depletion of cash reserves, loss of customers due to COVID precautions, continued supply chain and staffing issues.

Activation Grants

Establish/renew leases (for a minimum of 12 months) in specific, designated commercial corridors  where business closures (resulting from the pandemic) have produced vacancies, service gaps and/or conditions of blight. Under this grant category, existing and new businesses located in the designated commercial corridors may seek financial assistance for eligible expenses, such as security measures and equipment to provide building and surrounding security.

Note: If awarded, eligible activities such as establishing/renewing a lease or purchasing and installing security equipment/measures must be planned to occur after May 16, 2022 and within 180 days of receipt of grant. Disbursement of this grant for purposes of security equipment/measures will be on a reimbursement basis to the business upon providing supporting documentation evidencing eligible expenses.

Anti-Displacement Grants

Alleviate revenue losses resulting from publicly funded construction projects or partial relocation assistance in cases where a business has no option but to relocate as a result of impending new development.

Note: Disbursement of this grant for the purpose of relocation will be on a reimbursement basis to the business upon providing supporting documentation evidencing eligible expenses.

Technical Assistance

The program's technical assistance will include the following components:

• Guidance with completing the grant application and navigation services to ensure the most vulnerable businesses can access this resource
  
• Capacity-building to withstand future economic shocks
• Lease negotiation and eviction prevention, financial assistance readiness, safety measures, and managing business disruption such as construction, pandemics, etc.