LOWVILLE — Interested parties have until May 15 to submit an application to Naturally Lewis for the Launch Lewis County grant program.
Lewis, of course, is the Economic Development Authority of Lewis County.
In partnership with Lewis County, Naturally Lewis has $300,000 to invest in projects that will “improve the quality of life for residents and make Lewis County a more attractive place to live, work, and play.” We are looking for entrepreneurs who are looking to start a business. Announcement on March 18th.
The six-month program provides entrepreneurs with the training, funding, and tools they need to open a business.
Naturally, Lewis said he is looking for creative projects focused on categories such as food and beverage, tourism, small manufacturing and construction.
Upon completion of the program, entrepreneurs will submit a business plan proposal and have a chance to receive a grant of $10,000, $20,000 or $30,000 depending on the total cost of the project, Naturally Lewis said. Stated.
The program also provides grant recipients with ongoing business support through Naturally Lewis, as well as professional photography, grand opening promotions, and access to low-interest loan funds for business owners who qualify. Also provided.
If you are interested, please visit https://naturallylewis.com/growing-opportunities/launchlc.
Qualification requirements
Applicants must be small for-profit businesses with five or fewer employees.
To qualify for the grant, the applicant/owner must be considered low-to-moderate income or create jobs that are available to low-to-moderate income individuals. To determine income, applicants must be prepared to file both 2022 and 2023 income tax returns to prove eligibility, Naturally Lewis says. Additionally, when creating a new job to qualify for the grant, awardees must first create a full-time job to receive the grant.
In addition, Naturally Lewis says applicants must contribute personal funds to cover at least 10 percent of the total project cost. Grants can only cover up to 90% of project costs.
Applicant must be a start-up company. That is, it must be a new company or a company that has been in business for less than 6 months.
The Program Advisory Committee will review and select finalists to advance to the next round of the competition. Finalists will be required to complete an entrepreneurial training course in partnership with the Onondaga Small Business Development Center before submitting their final applications for grant consideration, Naturally Lewis said.
