Thank you for your interest in The City of Frederick’s ACCESS GRANTED Program. The application window is now closed, and all submitted files are under review. The review process will take several weeks. Award announcements are anticipated to be made in the month of November. All applicants will receive notification of their status at that time.

Unlocking Opportunity. Empowering Businesses.

GRANT AWARDS

The ACCESS GRANTED program received an overwhelming response, with 365 applicants requesting more than $11 million in funding. Application eligibility required the businesses be for-profit, in good standing with the state of Maryland, have a certificate of occupancy, and have no more than 25 full-time equivalent employees. Preference was given to businesses within The City of Frederick and small women and minority-owned businesses.  

After a competitive selection process, the following 53 businesses have been awarded grants totaling $400,000.  

Overview:

ACCESS GRANTED is a grant initiative designed to support and empower small minority and/or women owned businesses. The program is available to both start-up and established businesses in need of capital for a defined project that will grow their business.    

By providing this financial assistance, The City of Frederick aims to foster a supportive and inclusive business environment that enables entrepreneurs to reach their full potential. 

The City of Frederick has allocated $400,000 to deploy as grants via ACCESS GRANTED. This funding is provided as part of a Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds program authorized by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA-SLFRF.) https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/coronavirus/assistance-for-state-local-and-tribal-governments 

Application Process:  

• The ACCESS GRANTED application will open on July 15, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. EST, and will close on August 12, 2024, at 5:00 pm EST.  
• Applications will be reviewed as part of a competitive process with final awards at the discretion of a review committee. 
• Grants will be awarded and distributed by early fall 2024.  

Grant Requests:  

• Grant funds must be used for a clearly defined project designed to increase revenue, improve profitability, and/or enhance the business’ product/service opportunities.   
• Eligible costs may include equipment, building fit-out or renovation, inventory, professional services, website design, marketing, and more.
• ACCESS GRANTED is NOT intended to replace revenue shortages.  
• Eligible businesses may request grant amounts up to $40,000. Applicants are not guaranteed to be funded and may not receive the full amount that is requested in application.

Eligibility Criteria:

To be eligible, businesses must meet the following criteria: 

• Be a registered for-profit business.* 
• Be in good standing in the state of Maryland. 
• Have no more than 25 full-time equivalent employees.**  

* Non-Profits/civic organizations are NOT eligible for this opportunity and are encouraged instead to explore the City’s Community Promotion Grant.

**Full Time Equivalent Employee Calculation: The calculation of full-time equivalent (FTE) is an employee's scheduled hours divided by the employer's hours for a full-time workweek. When an employer has a 40-hour workweek, employees who are scheduled to work 40 hours per week are 1.0 FTEs. Employees scheduled to work 20 hours per week are 0.5 FTEs. 

Preferences will be given to:

• Businesses located within The City of Frederick limits
• Minority and/or woman owned business 

For the purposes of this grant program, Minority or Woman Business Enterprise (MWBE) - is defined as a business that is at least 51% owned and controlled by one or more socially-and economically-disadvantaged individuals. Under current State law, an individual is presumed to be socially and economically disadvantaged if that individual belongs to one of the following groups: African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Pacific Americans, Subcontinent Asian Americans, Native Americans, and Women.

Scoring Criteria:  

Applications will be evaluated based on:  

• Viability of the proposed project  
• Growth potential of the proposed project   
• Financial need 
• Overall alignment with program purpose & goal  

Required Documentation:

• Current business plan 
• Project budget  

Optional:  

• Supporting documents 
  • Articles 
  • Pictures 
  • Letters of support 
  • Proof of revenue 

Interim and Final Grant Reporting:

All ACCESS GRANTED Award Recipients will be required to submit: 

• Interim Report -- a status update on the project. 
  • Due on January 31, 2025 
• Final Report –a summary of the project’s impact on the business.
  • Submit HERE Unlocking Opportunity. Empowering Businesses. Unlocking Opportunity. Empowering Businesses.. 
  • Due on December 31, 2025 

Award recipients will be provided with a template for each report.  

View Frequently Asked Questions here