Grant Amount: Up to $100,000
About
Through an open application process, the Tenant Improvement Fund will grant small businesses up to $100,000 to build out commercial spaces and make commercial improvements more affordable.
The lack of affordable commercial spaces across the city for small business owners — particularly for Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) communities is a result of ongoing systemic barriers such as lack of access to capital, displacement, discrimination, inequitable public policy, and more. The pandemic exacerbated both the rise in commercial vacancies propelled by online retail and shifts to online and home-based work in some industries and the continued challenges BIPOC communities face to acquire affordable commercial spaces.
application deadline
Applications are due on September 8, 2022, at 5:00 p.m.
HOW TO QUALIFY
To qualify for the Tenant Improvement Fund, eligible small businesses must:
- Be a for-profit business that is independently owned, non-franchise and non-chain business located within the Seattle city limits.
- Have experienced direct economic disruption because of COVID-19.
- Have an active City of Seattle Business License.
- Have filed City Business and Occupation (B&O) taxes and paid taxes in full if owed or comply within two months of selection.
- Began operating business prior to 2019 or if project is a startup, applicant must have prior business experience or industry experience.
- Submit a letter of support for your project. Letters should be written by a local neighborhood business district organization, fellow small business owner, or nonprofit organization located in the neighborhood where your desired project is or will be located.
- See example for letter of support: Letter of Support Template.
- See list of Business District Organization.
- Submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) or signed lease from landlord within six (6) months of selection.
- Begin construction before December 2023
Location
- Plan for the tenant improvement project to be located within Seattle city limits.
- Have no more than two (2) locations.
Size
- Have no more than 50 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees.
- Have an annual gross revenue of no more than $2 million.
- Be a sole proprietor, C-corporation, cooperative, limited liability company,
partnership or limited partnership.
