Annapolis, MD - Governor Hogan announced $7 million in grant funding for the MD-SERI Main Street Grant which is part of the Governor’s Maryland Strong Economic Recovery Initiative. This program was funded out of the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development and will be divided among the state’s 33 designated Main Street Maryland communities and Baltimore City’s 8 designated Main Street neighborhoods to support the economic recovery of local Main Street businesses and the economic development of Maryland communities.
The Downtown Annapolis Partnership manages the Annapolis designated Main Street Community which consists of most of the downtown Annapolis' core commercial area, including Main Street, Market Space, Dock Street, Francis Street, the first 2 blocks of Maryland Avenue, the first block of West Street, the first block of Randall Street and parts of State Circle, Church Circle and Compromise Street,
As part of this announcement by Governor Hogan, the Downtown Annapolis Partnership will be awarded a MD-SERI Main Street Grant in the amount of $244,000. The Downtown Annapolis Partnership will be re-granting most of this grant to businesses within the Annapolis Main Street designated area.
All businesses that meet the criteria for the grant awards are encouraged to apply. Below is the process that will be followed to determine how the grants will be awarded.
Criteria for grant awards
Must be a registered business in good standing with the State of Maryland
Business must be located within the State designated Annapolis Main Street Program Area with a physical address that can receive mail in Annapolis Maryland on Main Street, Francis Street, Dock Street, the first block of Randall Street, first block of West Street, the first two blocks of Maryland Ave, and parts of State Circle, Church Circle, and Compromise Street.
Funds can be used for rent/mortgage, staff, utilities, equipment, supplies, and building improvements that will allow the business to continue to safely operate, expand, or adapt the business model to respond to changes due to COVID-19 restrictions and prevention.
The number of qualifying applicants will affect the number and amount of grants issued.
Priority considerations
Priority consideration will be given to businesses that meet all the following
- Businesses that are engaged in activities that are currently regulated by Maryland’s COVID-19 State of Emergency Executive Orders.
- Business that have been negatively affected by Maryland’s COVID-19 State of Emergency Executive Orders (i.e. currently have capacity restrictions on the number of customers mandated by executive orders)
- Businesses reporting an economic loss due to COVID
- Businesses location opened prior to March 1, 2020
- Businesses with physical locations currently open to the public unless the closure is mandated by Executive Orders
- Businesses that expect to still be in business in their current location May 1, 2020
- Businesses with 3 or fewer locations
- Businesses that did not qualify for the following grants: Anne Arundel Childs Care Grant, Anne Arundel County Restaurant and Food Service Recovery Grant, Hotel Relief Grant, State Tourism Non-profit Grant, or the State Entertainment Venues Grant
Process for determining grant awards and timeline for dispersing funds.
The application period will be open for 30 days.
The first round of grant recipients will be selected from those that meet both the criteria and priorities of the grant. Grants from the first round will of grant recipients will all get payments of at least $1000. If the first round of grants does not have funds for all qualifying applicants, they will be selected in the order they are received. No less than 70% of the grant funds will be awarded to this group.
If grant funds remain the second round of grant recipients will be selected from those applications that meet the criteria for grants but were not included in round one of the grant recipients. Grants from the second round will of grant recipients will all get equal payments of at least $500. If the grant pool does not have funds for all qualifying applicants in this group funds will be awarded in the order the applications are received.
Grants will all be awarded within 45 days of the close of the application date.
Proof of funds spend must be submitted within 60 days of receiving the grant or funds must be repaid.
The application period is now open and will close at 5 pm March 30, 2021.
