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 or by scheduling an appointment.
City of Revere Covid-19 Restaurant Recovery Grant Program
The City of Revere is launching an innovative pilot grant program aimed at boosting the recovery of Revere’s local, independent restaurants during this upcoming spring and summer. 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.
The application deadline has passed. Staff are beginning review of submissions and expect to provide award notifications and responses to all applicants by mid-March. Thank you for your interest.
Program Description
Restaurants selected to participate in this pilot will be 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. Funds are limited, and up to 10 restaurants total will be selected for this program pilot. The City will aim to select a cohort representing a broad mix of Revere restaurants, reflecting a range of business locations, sizes, and ownership.
Restaurants selected for this program will receive monthly grant assistance to support enhanced Covid-safe operations; grant amounts will be determined based on available funds and applicant’s level of need, and funds may be used on business working capital and/or fixed costs.
Each participating restaurant will also be evaluated by Revere’s Business Response team for small business development and technical assistance services, provided free of charge to grant program participants. Services will 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
Who should apply: This program is 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 are strongly encouraged to apply. Restaurants must be able to meet the below eligibility requirements to be considered for this program.
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 will be 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.
Financial Assistance
City staff are actively monitoring 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.
LATEST UPDATES: PPP Guidelines expanded -- key information for businesses with fewer than 20 employees. Click below for details.
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.
The latest round of Paycheck Protection Program funding opened one month ago with major improvements to the program’s implementation:
For businesses with fewer than ten employees, the share of funding is up nearly 60%
For businesses in rural communities, the share of funding is up nearly 30%
The share of funding distributed through Community Development Financial Institutions and Minority Depository Institutions is up more than 40%
These steps further demonstrate the commitment to racial and gender equity, reaching low and moderate-income, rural, urban, and other underserved areas. The SBA will:
Establish a 14-day, exclusive PPP loan application period for businesses and nonprofits with fewer than 20 employees
Allow sole proprietors, independent contractors, and self-employed individuals to receive more financial support by revising the PPP’s funding formula for these categories of applicants
Eliminate an exclusionary restriction on PPP access for small business owners with prior non-fraud felony convictions, consistent with a bipartisan congressional proposal
Eliminate PPP access restrictions on small business owners who have struggled to make federal student loan payments by eliminating federal student loan debt delinquency and default as disqualifiers to participating in the PPP; and
Ensure access for non-citizen small business owners who are lawful U.S. residents by clarifying that they may use Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) to apply for the PPP.
The 14-day exclusivity period will start on Wednesday, February 24, 2021 at 9 a.m., while the other four changes will be implemented by the first week of March. The SBA is working on the program changes and will communicate details throughout this week.
Borrowers can apply for the Paycheck Protection Program by downloading the First Draw PPP loan application or Second Draw PPP loan application and working with a participating PPP lender through the SBA Lender Match tool.
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.
Online applications for MGCC Sector-Specific Relief Grants closed on January 18.
For more details about awards and application updates, please visit the MGCC website.
The following applies to previous application rounds.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts made an additional $668 million available to support businesses through new and existing programs. Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation (MGCC) targeted a portion of these funds to sectors experiencing the most significant economic hardship and a loss of revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Businesses can receive up to $75,000 but capped at up to 3 months of operating expenses, as evidenced by 2019 Federal Tax Returns. Grant amounts will be considered for actual expenses for 2020 during the pandemic. Expenses can be considered since March 10, 2020, given that it does not exceed 3 months of operating expenses evidenced by 2019 Federal Tax Returns.
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
The Massachusetts Equitable PPP Access Initiative (MEPPPAI) 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. The coalition includes community development financial institutions, banks, business support organizations, foundations, and other supporting partners.
If you are a minority-owned business, you may be able to receive technical assistance on how to apply for and use PPP funds and how to apply for forgiveness by joining a workshop or signing up for help at the website.
City of Revere: Emergency Grant Program (closed)
This grant program is currently closed. Awards for this grant program were disbursed in summer of 2020. Existing grantees should contact John Festa, Business Liaison, 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.
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.
