A lot more than $1.2 Million to be Invested in Neighborhood Financial Restoration

Apps are open for awards up to $100,000 through the new Neighborhood Financial Recovery Fund for local community-led tasks to reignite the neighborhood financial state.  

Mayor Jenny A. Durkan and the Seattle Place of work of Economic Improvement (OED) announced the Community Financial Recovery Fund, which will support local community-led strategies such as public and commercial space activation, digital equity, outreach and other financial recovery projects to respond to the certain economic and neighborhood demands of neighborhoods across Seattle, with an intentional focus on racial equity. In complete, the Place of work of Economic Development will invest more than $6 million through immediate grants to neighborhood enterprise district organizations and other community-based organizations as a result of a community request for proposal. 

Through the Coronavirus Neighborhood Fiscal Recovery Fund proven underneath the American Rescue Approach Act, $1.2 million is available through the request for proposal approach. Eligible applicants include things like business enterprise, local community, cultural or arts organizations, cultural districts, and small companies these as group event producers, artists, consultants or a collection of men and women supporting community techniques with broadly shared added benefits. Grants will fund restoration tactics and things to do this kind of as:  

  • Public and commercial space activations, including outdoor seating, retail/vendor marketplaces, general public art displays, songs functions, community gatherings and commercial space pop-ups.  
  • Electronic fairness projects, these types of as neighborhood digital marketplaces for nearby little companies. 
  • Communications infrastructure development to produce sites, social media platforms, and speak to databases to circulate community news and resources. These will have to share information area corporations and activities to spur financial and social activity within a neighborhood. 
  • Physical improvements in neighborhoods, such as lighting, sidewalk cleansing, murals, or façade to increase the high quality of a neighborhoods bodily place for the reward of corporations, inhabitants and visitors. 
  • Local community safety tasks, including business block watches and community organizing. 
  • Outreach to support firms and connect them additional sources these as technical assistance and building partnerships concerning group corporations, company providers and inhabitants.  
  • Other economic recovery projects that are certain to a particular neighborhood’s desires. 

“The inequities and disparities we saw exacerbated by COVID ended up observed in the ordeals of men and women and households and collectively at the neighborhood degree,” said Pamela Banks, Interim Director of Workplace of Financial Enhancement. “In order for Seattle to have a actually inclusive financial state, we must provide sizeable recovery investments for our neighborhoods — particularly these who skilled the greatest economic, health and social devastation — to assistance our communities, corporations, and citizens get well and prosper. This financial commitment seeks to do just that by partnering with our businesses by now doing this work and welcoming the new thoughts of other folks that are willing and ready to contribute to our collective restoration endeavours!” 

Suitable applicants can post job proposals to the Community Economic Recovery Fund RFP for awards up to $100,000. Choice of awardees and final grant amounts will be centered on the following standards:    

  • Fairness: Projects serving highest COVID-impacted and substantial-displacement threat neighborhoods and/or tasks concentrating support for Black, Indigenous and people today of colour businesses and communities.    
  • Neighborhood Economic Restoration: Projects assisting companies and communities get better economically from COVID impacts and stimulating financial exercise.    
  • Neighborhood Supported: Projects with local community support and right benefiting the neighborhood. 

Proposals are due to by Wednesday, October 7, 2021, at 5 p.m. The Seattle Office of Economic Development will also host 3 information sessions for interested candidates to explain the intent of this funding option and reply questions regarding eligible pursuits, the software process and how to use the on the net grant portal. The on the web info periods will be hosted on Webex. 

If you need accommodations, assistance or interpretation to complete the application or at the information session, you should contact the Seattle Place of work of Financial Improvement at [email protected] or (206) 684-8090.