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Small Business Operations Grant

The Cambridge Small Business Operations Grant Program provides direct help to businesses. The grant can pay for operational costs such as rent, payroll, inventory, and equipment. The grant is funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The goal of the grant is to help small businesses in and around Cambridge's commercial districts recover and adapt from ongoing economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

All businesses must be local, non-franchise businesses with 50 or fewer full-time employees.

We accepted grant applications between January 16 - February 16, 2024, at 12:00 p.m. EST. We are no longer accepting applications. 

Grant Overview – What the Grant Can Be Used For

Brick and Mortar Businesses

Brick and mortar businesses could receive a grant up to $15,000 to reimburse small businesses for the following expenses from March 3, 2021 until April 30, 2024:

  • Commercial rent/mortgage 
  • Employee wages/payroll
  • New equipment
  • Inventory expenses
  • Marketing expenses
  • Delivery expenses
  • Other business operating expenses not included above

Home Based Businesses

Home based businesses, including livery businesses (e.g. taxi, Uber driver) could receive a grant up to $7,500 to reimburse small businesses for the following expenses from March 3, 2021 until April 30, 2024.

  • Equipment 
  • Marketing expenses
  • Owner/employee payroll
  • Inventory expenses
  • Other business operating expenses not included above

Grant funds cannot be used for the following:

  • construction projects
  • to pay for local, state, or federal taxes, bills, permit or license fees owed 
  • repayment of any previous federal or local grants/loans owed
  • new vehicles

Eligibility

If your answer to most of these questions is  “yes,”  you could be eligible for this grant:

  • Is your current non-franchise business located and operating in Cambridge, MA? 
  • Do you have 50 or fewer full-time employees including yourself? 
  • Is your business still in operation? 
  • Can you provide business tax returns or profit and loss statements that show your business loss of sales between 2019 and 2021? 
  • Do you have a Cambridge business certificate?

Businesses that are already participating in other City grant programs can still apply to the Small Business Operations Grant. Some exclusions apply.

Businesses NOT eligible for this grant: 

  • Businesses not located in Cambridge, MA
  • Cambridge businesses that recently closed 
  • Cambridge businesses that have signed a lease, opened, or started on or after April 2021. Businesses must be in operation prior to April 2021.  
  • Cambridge businesses that cannot provide taxes or sales documents that show a loss of sales/revenues from 2019 and 2021
  • Businesses not currently compliant with all federal, state and local laws and regulations pertaining to zoning, licensing, and permits
  • Although cannabis businesses are permitted in the City of Cambridge, the use and possession of cannabis is illegal under federal law for any purpose. Since this is a federally-funded program, cannabis businesses are not eligible for the program
  • Businesses that received a City-ARPA Grant (such as the Restaurant-Nightlife Relief Grant or Small Business Relief Grant) and have not provided proof of use for those grants to City staff

How to Apply

Applications were due February 16, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. EST. If you have questions about your application, please contact us at smallbizgrants@cambridgema.gov or 617-349-7223.

Required Documents for Application

All businesses must provide business tax returns or profit/loss data to show how the COVID-19 pandemic continues to negatively affect their business. For businesses not open in 2019, a COVID-19 related delay to opening the business could help replace sales data.

Other documents you must prepare, are:

  • For brick and mortar businesses: current Cambridge lease or mortgage statement, or landlord invoice for commercial rent owed
  • A copy of employee payroll from November – December 2023
  • Copies of recent marketing expenses, receipts or costs of equipment purchased or planning to purchase by April 2024
  • Copies of inventory bills
  • A list of all other COVID-19 grants/loans you received between 2021 - 2023

Please note - you do not need to provide a Cambridge Business Certificate if you have a Corporation filed with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 

 

Need Help Applying?

Staff are happy to answer questions and assist business owners with filling out the application. Interpretation services are available upon request.

 

Tips and FAQs

If you are applying online via your Apple phone, please use a different web browser than Safari. It doesn’t work well with our application form.

 

If the web browser is not the issue, please make sure you have attached invoices and put an answer down for every required question, including the drop-down menu questions, like number of employees.

 

If you continue to have issues, please call us at 617-349-7223 to schedule a time for staff to call you and help fill out the application with you. We can also provide you with a paper/PDF version of the application.

 
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