Rochester’s Keep it Local Grant Program

The COVID-19 crisis has presented many challenges to Rochester’s small business community and has also inspired quick and creative innovation and collaboration.

The City of Rochester has approved an additional $225,000 in Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) funding to support small business through a second round of the Keep It Local Grant Program, first launched in April of 2020 in partnership with the Rochester Downtown Alliance (RDA).

The overall goals of this program are: 

  • to help small businesses adapt to challenges presented by COVID-19 in the short term and strengthen their business in the long term,
  • to meet business needs not currently being addressed by city, state, and federal relief programs,
  • to support innovation and entrepreneurship within our community,
  • and to highlight and connect talented businesses and service providers within Rochester.

How it works:

  • A small business or organization within Rochester, MN can apply for the Keep it Local grant for a specific project or effort and hires another small business or service provider (or team of providers) within Rochester.
  • The ideal project should help a business respond to COVID-19 in the short-term and grow in a new way in the long-term. Pre-existing projects that provide especially unique or innovative services to the Rochester community and have been interrupted by COVID-19 will also be considered for the grant.
  • Women, minority, and veteran owned businesses (WMVBE) are encouraged to apply and 20% of the program fund will be designated for WMVBE businesses.
     

Apply:

The grant application is currently closed. 

Please note: The first application round closes Monday September 7, 2020. The review process will continue on a cyclical basis until the funds are exhausted. The maximum grant amount is $10,000.

Submit Your Business as a Service Provider:

Submit your business name to our directory of Rochester-based service providers

Still Have Questions?

We are happy to assist! Please contact the RDA staff at info@downtownrochestermn.com.