If you’re a small business owner, you know the dedication it takes to help your organization thrive. As a community that is strengthened by entrepreneurs, Mercer County takes steps each and every day to assure that local businesses can continue to grow and prosper in the region. One such way that Mercer County is supporting its businesses is through grant funding, offering owners assistance with the increasing costs of running a business. If you aren’t familiar with the grant process, you may be intimidated by the application process. Thankfully, Mercer County is here with a number of small business grant application events to make the process simple, easy, and accessible.

As a part of the Mercer County Rescue Plan, the county is offering $3.5 million in funding to small businesses that likely experienced financial hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic. The focus of this funding is small businesses in Mercer County with a physical storefront. Businesses are welcome to apply for a grant, with a $10,000 maximum available to approved applicants. If you’re an entrepreneur interested in getting started, applications can be accessed here: Apply – Mercer Co. Small Business Grant. If you have any questions or experience any trouble utilizing the portal, please email MercerCountyPortal@grantworks.net for additional details.

If you’re a business owner and you’re uncertain of how to get started, help is available at the following events:

• Monday, April 10, 2023, 10 am – 2 pm: Mercer Community College Campus, 102 N. Broad St 2nd Floor Conference Room, Trenton, NJ 08608
• Monday, April 24, 2023, 10 am – 2 pm: Mercer County Connection, 957 Hwy 33, Hamilton Square Shopping Center, Hamilton, NJ 08690

At these events, business owners will have the chance to connect with GrantWorks team members as well as representatives of the Mercer County Economic Development staff for assistance in submitting their applications. You can register for a 30-minute slot at the registration page here: Register – Application Event. If you plan on attending, please come prepared with the following materials:

• Your NJ Business Tax ID –
• Your 2019, 2020, and 2021 business income tax filings
• Your employee roster – NJ WR-30
• Photo of Business Storefront

In addition to individual consulting sessions, group training will be available to direct applicants through how to navigate and save documents in the application portal. These trainings will take place every hour throughout the duration of the event. Assistance will also be available for Spanish-speaking clients.

Funding and support for this program are available via American Rescue Plan funding. The American Rescue Plan (ARP) was passed in 2021 to provide emergency relief to communities in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. These funds have been allocated to provide direct relief to the American people through small business support, economic stimuli, lower health insurance premiums, and more. These funds are here to help right in Mercer County, and any small business owner in the region who is in need of support is encouraged to apply.

Help is here in Mercer County, and advocates are standing by to walk you through the ins and outs of accessing this support. If you wish to take advantage of this program, please be sure to register at the link attached above. Any questions regarding this program may be directed to MercerCountyPortal@grantworks.net. An abundance of support is waiting for you, so get started today!

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