The St. Clair County Economic Development Alliance (EDA) has announced that the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) has approved a regional grant for the I-69 Thumb Region.
Approval of this grant in the amount of $850,000 allows the I-69 Thumb Region, consisting of seven counties, to issue prompt Small Business Relief funding. St. Clair County’s portion of the grant is approximately $142,000. On Wednesday, March 26th, applications will open to St. Clair County small businesses who are encouraged to apply online via the Economic Development Alliance’s website, if they meet certain criteria.
The EDA is coordinating the submissions and processing of all St. Clair County applications. Local chambers have been invited to assist the EDA with reviewing applications and making recommendations for awards. It is anticipated that 14-20 businesses will be awarded grants averaging $8,000 with maximum grants of $10,000. Grant applications selected from St. Clair County will then move forward to be approved by a regional panel. Dan Casey will be sitting on the regional Review Panel as the economic development representative for St. Clair County. The goal of the MEDC and the EDA is to get funds disbursed to businesses quickly. The application period opens on March 26th and closes on March 30th.
