This page highlights Covid-related resources for Revere’s small businesses. For individual assistance, please contact Revere’s Covid-19 Business Response Team via email.
Visit the Covid-19 Response page for more information on the Citywide response. For updates on business licensing, please visit the Licensing Commission page.
NOTE: The following resources are all updated as of 05/24/2021.
The Commonwealth’s economy will complete the reopening process effective May 29th. This will mean all remaining business restrictions will be lifted, along with the gathering restrictions. Visit the http://www.mass.gov/reopening page for the most updated guidance from the Commonwealth; additional guidance from the City of Revere Board of Health may also apply.
City of Revere: Fully Vaccinated Business Certification
Do you have a business with all employees fully vaccinated?
Do you want a cool city badge, and free publicity?
Do you have a safe and healthy workforce, and want everyone to know about it?
Small businesses can join the program through the City of Revere Inspectional Services Department. Once ISD receives and reviews each application a COVID inspector is sent out to each small business for attestation and then designates them a Fully Vaccinated Business.
Effective May 29th, the Commonwealth’s face-covering order will be rescinded. The Department of Public Health will issue a new face-covering advisory consistent with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s updated guidance. Face coverings will still be mandatory for all individuals on public and private transportation systems (including rideshares, livery, taxi, ferries, MBTA, Commuter Rail and transportation stations), in healthcare facilities and in other settings hosting vulnerable populations, such as congregate care settings.
The Baker-Polito Administration has announced a COVID-19 Employer Vaccination Program, which will provide employers with easy and convenient options to help their employees get vaccinated. You may read more about this program at www.mass.gov/EmployerVaccine and in the press release. Interested businesses can sign up to take advantage of the program.
City of Revere: Outdoor Seating Equipment Loans
The Office of Planning & Development has been awarded a “Shared Street Grant” from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and has used the funds to purchase outdoor dining equipment.
The City will in turn provide no-cost loans of this equipment, consisting of outdoor patio furniture, to small businesses having a registered business within the city and a storefront location.
Terms and conditions apply. Scroll down to "Restaurant Resources" section of this page for more information. You can also begin an application here: www.revere.org/sharedstreets
City of Revere: Outdoor Seating and Dining License
All businesses seeking to operate outdoor seating or dining must contact the License Commission to initiate the process. Please visit https://www.revere.org/departments/licensing for more information.
Financial Assistance
City staff continue to monitor federal and state announcements regarding small business relief programs; external programs are listed for informational purposes only. See below for relevant deadlines, significant updates for award recipients, and/or links to apply.
The Biden-Harris Administration and the U.S. Small Business Administration are taking steps with the Paycheck Protection Program to further promote equitable relief for America’s mom-and-pop businesses.
Through SBA’s nationwide district offices, the Agency will work in close partnership with the Administration to further leverage its resource partner network and expand on multilingual access and outreach about the PPP.
Minority-owned small businesses can still access PPP technical assistance via The Massachusetts Equitable PPP Access Initiative (MEPPPAI). These businesses should act now. MEPPAI is a coalition formed to provide timely and equitable access to forgivable federal loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration under the Paycheck Protect Program (PPP) for underbanked businesses and historically disadvantaged and underserved demographic groups, including businesses owned by women and people of color.
5/24/21 Update: U.S. SBA Community Navigators Program
SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM – COMMUNITY NAVIGATORS
Through the Community Navigator Pilot Program, SBA will engage with states, local governments, SBA resource partners, and other organizations in targeted outreach for small businesses underserved communities. This is an opportunity for technical assistance providers and small business support organizations to access grant funding to further their reach to underserved businesses. Read more about the program here.
The Shuttered Venue Operators (SVO) Grant program was established by the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act, signed into law on December 27, 2020. The program includes $15 billion in grants to shuttered venues, to be administered by the SBA’s Office of Disaster Assistance.
Eligible applicants may qualify for SVO Grants equal to 45% of their gross earned revenue, with the maximum amount available for a single grant award of $10 million. $2 billion is reserved for eligible applications with up to 50 full-time employees.
SBA announced enhancements to the 7a loan program effective 12/27 through 10/1/21 that gives lenders additional incentive to lend -- helping small businesses access capital and save money:
No fees to borrowers or lenders
Guarantee from SBA to lenders raised to 90%
Guarantees on the Express loan program under $350,000 raised from 50% to 75%
Express loan limit increased to $1 million through October and on our 504 program through 9/30
No Third Party Lender fee or CDC Processing fee
For questions on SBA’s regular loan programs, please contact your local district office. The MA general mailbox is MassachusettsDO@SBA.gov
City of Revere: Emergency Grant Program (closed)
This grant program is closed. Awards were disbursed in summer and fall of 2020. Existing grantees should contact John Festa with questions about prior awards and requirements.
In May 2020, the City of Revere launched an emergency grant program, which offered working capital grants of up to $10,000 to Revere small businesses negatively impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Funding is limited, and eligibility requirements and conditions apply. This program was supported by Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds and funding from the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office.
The following guidelines apply to existing grantees only:
What can grant funds cover?
These working capital grants are limited to following business expenses: lease or mortgage payments, utility payments, monthly debt payments, payroll, and/or inventory expenses. Prohibited uses include the acquisition of new property or the construction or repair of existing and/or new property.
Who is eligible for this grant?
The program was open to applicants who met the following threshold criteria:
Are a for-profit business with a physical location in Revere;
Are in good standing with the City of Revere;
Have experienced a loss of business income due to COVID-19;
Have business rent/lease commitments or mortgage/loan obligations; and
Have documentable business income loss, including business income comparisons (e.g. pre-Covid and during Covid) and are able to provide a description of negative impacts.
Businesses were also required to qualify as one of the following:
A microenterprise business - a business with five employees or less, including the owner; and the owner must earn a household income of equal to or less than 80% of the area median income; or
A small business having any number of employees, where as a result of grant funding, at least one job will be either: retained by a low-moderate income employee OR created (or in this case re-created) and available to low-moderate income persons; or
A business with at least one employee (not including business owner) where the employee(s) are in jeopardy of losing their job due to Covid-19, and the business commits to either retaining the employee(s) because of assistance or hire(s) the employee(s) back within a reasonable period when normal business resumes.
Businesses Ineligible For This Grant
Real estate, multi-level marketing, adult entertainment, cannabis, firearms, and social clubs.
Income Eligibility
Grant applications include required questions about applicants' current household income. Application review and funding decisions will be evaluated in conjunction with Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) area median income guidelines for business owner applicants and/or employees.
City of Revere: Restaurant Recovery Program PILOT (Closed)
This grant program is closed. This pilot program operated from March through May 2021. Existing grantees should contact John Festa or Julie DeMauro with questions.
City of Revere Covid-19 Restaurant Recovery Grant Program
In February 2021, the City of Revere launched a pilot grant program aimed at boosting the recovery of Revere’s local, independent restaurants. The program has two main goals: supporting Covid-safe restaurant operations and strengthening participating restaurants in the long term through targeted technical assistance. Review each section below for more details.
Restaurants selected to participate in this pilot were eligible to receive (1) grant assistance on a monthly basis, for up to three months between March and May 2021, along with (2) ongoing business development support. Fifteen restaurants were selected for this program pilot, reflecting a range of business locations, sizes, and ownership.
In addition to grant assistance, each participating restaurant was evaluated by Revere’s Business Response team for small business development and technical assistance services, provided free of charge to grant program participants. Services include tailored support for strengthening the business’s online and marketing presence, takeout and delivery operations, and/or their readiness to plan for and operate outdoor seating this year.
Eligibility requirements: This program was open to restaurants that have either: previously closed their indoor dining and have been operating a takeout/delivery model only; or those that will commit to operating Covid-safe indoor dining for up to three months. Restaurants that have been unable to access Small Business Administration programs or Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation funds were strongly encouraged to apply. Restaurants were required to meet the requirements below.
Minimum eligibility requirements:
Must be a food service establishment with indoor seating and operate a physical place of business in Revere. Chain restaurants, franchises, and bars are not eligible and will be excluded from any application review.
Must be in good standing with the City, including compliance with all Board of Health Covid-19 health and safety requirements. Businesses must remain in good standing as a condition of participating in the grant program.
Must commit to operating at or below Board of Health capacity restrictions during the grant eligibility period (up to three months total through May 2021).
Must be able to demonstrate negative financial impacts from Covid-19 by reporting a comparison of gross monthly sales from Q4 2019 (October-December) to Q4 2020 (October-December).
Must be willing to participate in monthly reporting as a condition of receiving further funding.
Must submit completed online application and provide all supporting documents, including a valid W-9, on file within ten (10) business days of application submission. No applications will be accepted after March 3, 2021.
Among applicants that meet minimum eligibility requirements, priority was given to restaurants that have been operating on a takeout/delivery model only since 2020 and demonstrate readiness to participate in coaching or technical assistance programs.
General Resources
The following listings include Covid-19 business counseling resources as well as small business development information; external programs are listed for informational purposes only. City staff are also available to provide information and guidance to Revere businesses, via email or by appointment (click Community Development > Business assistance).
COVID-19 Small Business Stabilization Network: This network is providing targeted technical assistance, including multilingual assistance, to businesses seeking to access small business loan and relief programs.
Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs): SBDCs are serving both new and existing small business clients with 1:1 remote business counseling and group workshop webinars.
Women’s Business Centers (WBCs): WBCs provide free to low cost counseling and training and focus on emerging or current women entrepreneurs. Remote classes and self-paced workshops may be available to eligible businesses.
Veterans Business Outreach Centers (VBOC): Designed to provide entrepreneurial development services and referrals for eligible veterans owning or considering starting a small business. Remote classes and self-paced workshops may be available to eligible businesses.
Latino Business Resilience Program (Apply by 2/26)
Amplify Latinx, in collaboration with the Enterprise Center at Salem State University as program administrator, and Surfside Capital Advisors, as technical assistance provider, is launching the Latino Business Resilience Program.
The goal of this program is to help Latino-owned small businesses across the Commonwealth to develop and implement resiliency strategies such as pivoting, digital transformation, and capital readiness to navigate the ongoing uncertainties of COVID-19 and create the foundation for success in the recovery.
This culturally responsive program will be available in English and Spanish. It will serve 20-25 Latino businesses in Massachusetts, including restaurants, retailers, bodegas, barber shops, etc. that have between $100,000 – $1,000,000+ in annual revenue.
Eligibility
Be a Latinx-owned business in Massachusetts.
Be owned by one or more individuals who are at least eighteen (18) years of age.
Have $100,000 – $1,000,000+ in annual revenue with growth potential and need support with strategy, pivoting or digital transformation to sustain the business.
Be able to produce and provide financial reports to assess the overall financial situation of the business. The confidentiality of this information will be respected and safeguarded.
Be willing and committed to spend at least 13 hours, over a 4-month period, working with Surfside Capital Advisors.
Once the application is submitted online, Enterprise Center at SSU staff will reach out to schedule a brief interview. Participants will be accepted into the program if they meet the requirements. Participants will be selected on a rolling basis by March 1, 2021.
The COVID Relief Coalition is a coalition of law firms, nonprofits and governmental agencies that have joined forces to provide pro-bono legal assistance to small businesses to access emergency loans and other sources of relief.
Business owners, independent contractors, and self-employed individuals seeking assistance in applying for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance or related programs are also invited to call CONNECT’s Spanish/English hotline at 617-712-3487.
From the Ascent website: "Women own or co-own 45% of all businesses in the United States. These businesses represent all types of industries and are owned by all types of women. The majority are small, with great potential for growth in both revenues and job creation. That’s why we created Ascent and packed it with in-depth information to help you grow your business."
Small Business Development Webinars
Small Business Development Webinars The following small business development agencies offer online webinars on key Covid-related and general business topics. For more information, please visit:
City of Revere Webinars On January 8, City staff and partners hosted two application support webinars for the MGCC COVID-19 Sector-Specific Relief Grants (which were due by 1/18):
Santander Bank’s Cultivate Small Business program is designed to help early-stage entrepreneurs, particularly women, people of color, and immigrants working to build and sustain food-related businesses in emergent neighborhoods in Massachusetts. The 16-week (fully virtual) program is completely free to entrepreneurs and provides participants with industry specific education, networks and mentoring, along with the opportunity to apply for capital grants for their business.
Applicant Criteria Program participants should represent a business that meets the following criteria:
Participants should reside in or represent a business located in a low-to moderate-income urban area in Massachusetts or New Jersey.
Gross/Net revenues of $25,000 to $1,000,000 in the most recent full calendar year.
Minimum of 1 year in operation as of January 1, 2021.
Between 1 and 10 full-time-equivalent employees.
Food-related industries, including processing, technology, manufacturing, and food services.
NOTE: Applicants do not need to meet all criteria in order to be considered for acceptance.
Free Design Assistance: Indoor/Outdoor Seating
Revere businesses are invited to apply for assistance through the Restaurant Reopening Assistance Program, a resource provided by the Boston Society of Architecture and the Boston Society of Landscape Architects.
The Boston Society for Architecture (BSA) and the Boston Society of Landscape Architects (BSLA) are organizing our members to volunteer conceptual design assistance that can help local restaurants design or redesign outdoor seating and also help think about how to redesign interior spaces to respond to evolving COVID-related standards. Once you have completed this form you will be matched with a volunteer architect, landscape architect, designer or student in one of these disciplines. This person will meet with you (at your restaurant or digitally) to talk about your plans and measure the space. The volunteer will then send you a basic conceptual design sketch of how you could reconfigure your outdoor and/or indoor space layout.
Please note: Any design requests beyond this are not included in this offer for assistance and your volunteer has not been asked to assist with the permitting process for the new seating layout. This measured sketch is for conceptual design purposes to guide layout only; it will not be stamped and is not intended to be used as a construction document. Although your volunteer can design for greater spatial distancing, he/she is an architect or landscape architect, not an industrial hygienist, and cannot guarantee that the design will prevent the spread of the virus.
The Office of Planning & Economic Development has been awarded a “Shared Street Grant” from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and has used the funds to purchase outdoor dining equipment.
The City will in turn provide no-cost loans of this equipment, consisting of outdoor patio furniture, to small businesses having a registered business within the city and a storefront location.
What can the equipment be used for? The equipment can be used by restaurants, cafes, and bakeries that would like to promote food service or take out service outside along the sidewalk or within the parking bays in front of their business location.
How long will businesses have access to the equipment? The City plans to run this pilot program throughout the month of October.
What are the responsibilities as a business owner of the equipment during the loan period? Business owners will need to sign a No-Cost Equipment Loan Agreement, store the equipment in their establishment during non-business hours, and keep the equipment clean after every customer use.
How will businesses receive the equipment? Because this is a pilot program, the supply of equipment is limited and will be made available to businesses that submit an application at www.revere.org/sharedstreets, have current permits to operate outdoor dining, and are in good standing with City of Revere’s Licensing Department. The City of Revere will deliver the equipment once these criteria are met and will pick the equipment up at the end of the pilot period.
For more info please contact Julie DeMauro at jdemauro@revere.org.
