EASTHAMPTON – The Greater Easthampton Chamber of Commerce received 36 applications for the Greater Easthampton Sustaining Small Business Grant (SSBG) Program.

The application process opened July 1 and closed July 14.

Executive Director Moe Belliveau said they are hoping to determine the grant awardees within the next couple of weeks along with providing the awardees access to the money.

The program is part of a larger collaboration between the Greater Easthampton Chamber of Commerce and the city of Easthampton within the Blueprint Easthampton initiative.

A $30,000 grant was awarded to the city by the Office of Attorney General Maura Healy. The city reached out to the chamber to partner as the program administrator to create and run the SSBG program, while the city acts as the financial coordinator, collecting donations, and writing checks once the grants are awarded by the chamber.

The purpose of the SSBG is to provide local small and micro businesses, and the nonprofit community, with short-term financial aid to those who have sustained economic loss due to COVID-19.    

Belliveau said that applicants could request and receive up to $1,500, depending on what they needed the money for. The grant money could be used for things such as rent, PPE gear, and utility bills. There are only so many dollars that can go out and due to the strong request for applications, not everyone will receive money.

In a press release on their website, Belliveau stated that the grant also been seeded with $10,000 in additional gifts. The Vitality Grant sponsored by Applied Mortgage Giving is funded by a $7,500 gift from Todd Barron and Lindsay Barron LaBonte, co-managers of Applied Mortgage, a dba of HarborOne Mortgage, and an additional grant of $2,500 has been provided by HarborOne Mortgage and HarborOne Bank.

“We invite our local business community who would like to extend such assistance to their fellow businesses in need to contact the chamber for assistance on how to do so,” said Belliveau.