Mansfield Announces Second Round Of Funding For Local Businesses

Press release from the Town of Mansfield:

October 6, 2022

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mansfield Announces Second Round of Funding for Local Businesses

Mansfield Announces Second Round of Funding for Local Businesses

Non-Profit Organizations Now Also Eligible

MANSFIELD, CT October 6, 2022--The Town of Mansfield invites small businesses and non-profit organizations in Mansfield to apply for grants from its Local Business & Non-Profit Relief Fund Program.

The Town launched its business support program earlier this year to provide financial assistance to eligible Mansfield businesses that have been adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The program is funded through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and administered by the Town of Mansfield in collaboration with the Mansfield Downtown Partnership.

For the second round, the Town Council approved including non-profit organizations as eligible applicants.

Applications and details are available on the Mansfield Downtown Partnership’s website at https://mansfieldmdp.org/arpa. Complete application materials must be received by 4:00 PM on Friday, October 28, 2022.

The target audience for the program is small businesses and non-profit organizations in Mansfield. Applicants may request up to $10,000. The program will benefit businesses and non-profit organizations that have less than 25 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees) and who generate less than $2 million in gross annual revenue. Businesses and non-profits located in Mansfield or paying taxes in the Town of Mansfield and have been in operation for a minimum of 24 months are eligible to apply.

Applicants must be able to demonstrate that they have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and that grant funds will enable the business to continue to operate and become stronger. Applicants must also present a reasonable likelihood for long-term viability.

“We were encouraged by the number of small businesses that applied for this Local Business Relief Fund Program in the first round earlier this summer,” says Ryan Aylesworth, Mansfield Town Manager. “We are eager to open up this second opportunity for businesses and to expand it to the non-profit organizations who work within our Town. Many non-profits were also severely impacted by the pandemic, and they are integral to our community services. We hope we will see many applications for relief so we can put these dollars to work where they are needed most,” he adds.

ARPA Programs in Mansfield

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) includes funding to municipalities to help respond to and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. Treasury Department has issued rules to implement the recovery funds established under ARPA. Through ARPA, state and local governments have access to funds that are aimed at helping communities recover from the economic impact of the pandemic.

The Mansfield Town Council is investing Mansfield’s roughly $7.5 million allocation of ARPA funds to deliver the greatest benefit to the community within the guidelines provided by the Treasury Department. The Council has authorized the Town Manager and associated municipal departments to move forward on many proposed projects and initiatives. Funding spans a wide range of approved uses, including:

This press release was produced by the Town of Mansfield. The views expressed here are the author’s own.