Small Business Development

Microenterprise Grant Program - Applications NOW CLOSED.

The City of Revere has programmed $415,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding to establish a microenterprise grant program, with the objectives of preventing, preparing for, and responding to the coronavirus. The purpose of this program is to provide financial support for the establishment, stabilization, and expansion of micro enterprises, defined as having five or fewer employees. The maximum grant award is $15,000 to cover up to three (3) months of operating expenses, with the average award expected to be $10,000.

Program Policies and Procedures (English)

Políticas y procedimientos del programa (Español)

Miss the FAQ webinar? Download the presentation slides or watch the recording.

PLEASE NOTE: Microenterprises are defined as having five or fewer employees; please note this requirement before applying. Due to federal regulations, businesses with more than five employees are not eligible for this grant program and should monitor this page for upcoming opportunities.

Business and/or property owners in targeted business districts may be eligible for grant funds to support commercial property improvements. Funding for this program is provided through Revere’s Community Development Block Grant allocation and is currently available only to businesses located within the Broadway Central Business District or Shirley Avenue Business District. Funds are allocated on an annual basis and are subject to availability. Additional eligibility requirements apply.

Learn more about this program by visiting the Storefront and Signage Improvement Program page or by contacting the City of Revere’s Business Liaison, John Festa. 

In 2021, the City of Revere launched a one-time grant program to provide intensive financial assistance, technical assistance, and food safety training resources to fifteen Revere restaurants. The program had two main goals: supporting Covid-safe restaurant operations and strengthening participating restaurants in the long term through targeted technical assistance. 

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 in financial management, business operations, and/or digital media and marketing. Fifteen restaurants were selected for this program pilot, reflecting a range of business locations, sizes, and ownership.

This grant program is closed. Final awards were disbursed in May 2021.

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. This program was supported by Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds and funding from the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office.

This grant program is closed. Awards were disbursed in summer and fall of 2020.

The City of Revere partnered with the Center for Women and Enterprise (CWE) and JP Morgan Chase Bank to provide a four-part webinar series on small business success. All sessions were led by expert business coaches and included opportunities for Q&A with CWE and Revere staff. 

Session 1: Keeping the Books

December 1, 2021 
Download presentation | Webinar video (English) | Webinar video (Spanish)

Session 2: Social Media Made Simple

January 12, 2022
Download presentation | Webinar video (English) | Webinar video (Spanish)

Session 3: Cash Flow Management

February 9, 2022
Download Presentation | Webinar video (English) | Webinar video (Spanish)

Session 4: Steps to Grow your Business

March 9, 2022
Download Presentation | Webinar video (English) (Password: #fn3#qdW) | Webinar video (Spanish)

Session 5: Grant Application 101

April 6, 2022
Download Presentation 

Revere is home to a network of community-based partners and municipal departments supporting business networking, marketing and event planning, district improvements, placemaking, and workforce and employment programming. Click below for more information.

• Revere Farmers Market
• Revere Chamber of Commerce
• Revere Beach Partnership
• Beachmont Improvement Committee
• The Neighborhood Developers 

Revere is the service area of multiple economic development agencies and community development financial institutions (CDFIs). Additional technical assistance and business financing may be available through these partners.

Please contact DPCD staff for referrals or visit the links below for information: 

South Eastern Economic Development (SEED) Corporation

Offers fast track loans (up to $20,000 for start-up and existing businesses at 5-6% fixed); micro and small loans (micro loans up to $50,000 and Small Loans up to $250,000 at 5-6% fixed with flexible terms); and SBA 504 loans (Real Estate or Machinery and Equipment Loans up to $5.5 million at low, fixed rates).

Center for Women and Enterprise (CWE) Eastern MA Business Center

Provides coaching, networking, technical assistance, and consultations supporting women business owners and emerging entrepreneurs. 

MassDevelopment Programs

NOTE: Only suitable for larger, well-capitalized, anchor employer businesses. MassDevelopment’s bond financing programs offer a cost-effective way for companies to finance capital projects, new equipment purchases, and facility expansions; also provides loans and guarantees to help grow operations, and development assistance for early-stage projects.

Businesses seeking to fill open positions, or to secure professional development funding for their employees, are encouraged to explore the following:

• Revere Works Coalition (Local job training and adult basic education providers)
• MassHire Metro North (Regional workforce agency for training and employer engagement)
• Workforce Training Fund (Grant opportunities for upskilling/training existing employees)

Over the past decade, the City’s DPCD has led or supported a variety of major infrastructure, lighting, and signalization improvements along the Broadway corridor. Broadway is Revere’s central business district and a hub for city services including Revere City Hall, Revere’s Senior Center, Veterans Affairs Office, Harry Della Russo Stadium, and Central Fire Station.

Broadway is also home to two electric vehicle (EV) charging station locations and a BlueBikes station located adjacent to the American Legion Lawn near City Hall.

For Businesses: New and existing businesses within the Broadway Central Business District are eligible to participate in the City’s Storefront and Signage Improvement Program. Business vendors are invited to contact the Revere Farmers Market for more information about vending or promotional opportunities.  

Since the designation of Shirley Avenue as a Transformative Development Initiative (TDI) District in 2015, the City has secured a $2 million MassWorks grant for streetscape improvements to complement significant utility upgrades, lighting enhancements, and accessibility improvements. The City supports ongoing special events in the district, such as the Shirley Avenue Cultural Festival and Shirley Avenue Night Market Series.

Shirley Avenue is also home to an electric vehicle (EV) charging station at the Municipal Parking Lot and two BlueBikes stations located at 69 Shirley Avenue and Orr Square, opposite the Revere Beach Blue Line MBTA station.

For Businesses: New and existing businesses within the Shirley Avenue district are eligible to participate in the City’s Storefront and Signage Improvement Program. 

In June 2020, the City of Revere approved an ordinance to allow the operation of mobile food vendors within the city limits. For more information about eligible locations, application requirements, and scheduling, please visit the Revere Food Trucks page.

Operating a food truck anywhere in the city without the authorization of the Revere License Commission is strictly prohibited. Food trucks seeking to operate along Revere Beach must be approved by Revere’s License Commission and are subject to additional restrictions and requirements from the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR).

Please visit the City of Revere’s Coronavirus Response page for available times, locations, and other important information.

There is no mask mandate in place for Revere businesses. All businesses are encouraged to follow CDC guidance on masking; additional masks can be requested through Mask Up Revere.

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. Click here to apply.

Various financial assistance programs launched in response to the pandemic. Businesses are encouraged to monitor the following for new opportunities or responsibilities as grant and/or loan recipients from these sources. Tax filing implications may apply.

The U.S. Small Business Administration launched a variety of relief programs designed to support small businesses through the coronavirus pandemic. The complete list of offerings can be viewed at https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/coronavirus-relief-options 

MGCC has launched a variety of technical assistance and grant programs for businesses negatively impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, including Sector-Specific Relief grants in 2021. A complete list of technical and/or financial assistance programs can be found at https://www.empoweringsmallbusiness.org/.