Award type: project grant

The City of Flint, Michigan was awarded a $1.18 million Project Grant through November 2023 by the Small Business Administration under the Community Navigator Pilot Program. The grant will support the delivery of technical assistance and pandemic relief services to historically underserved small businesses and entrepreneurs. As a primary awardee, the City of Flint will provide these services directly and also through subawards to community organizations acting as hubs and spokes. Key deliverables include quarterly progress reports and outcomes such as increased participation in SBA and other government relief programs by target groups including minority, women, veteran and rural entrepreneurs impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Activities

Provide high quality support and technical assistance with pandemic relief programs and recovery services to small businesses.; deliverables: grantees will provide reports on activities and progress toward stated goals to SBA on a quarterly basis.

Expected outcomes

Increase awareness of and participation in programs of the u.s small business administration and other government agencies.

Intended beneficiaries

Small businesses and entrepreneurs that fall into a historically underserved category, including minority entrepreneurs (black, indigenous, and people of color), entrepreneurs with disabilities, lgbtq entrepreneurs, rural entrepreneurs; veterans and military entrepreneurs (including spouses), women entrepreneurs, innovative startups, micro businesses, and socially and economically disadvantaged small businesses

Subrecipient activities

Grantees (hubs) and their contractors (spokes) will provide high quality support and technical assistance with pandemic relief programs and recovery services to small businesses. This support takes the form of 1:1 counseling and group trainings.