The City's Office of Economic Development has partnered with FORWARD to administer $50,000 in microenterprise assistance grants through the federal government's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. Following the application and selection processes, 25 eligible businesses will each receive $2,000 to help with business costs. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) defines a microenterprise as: “A commercial enterprise that has five or fewer employees, one or more of whom owns the enterprise.”
Applications for the Microenterprise Assistance Program (MEAP) are now available until Friday, February 16, 2024. A public lottery will occur on Friday, March 1 if the number of eligible applicants exceeds 30 applicants.
Eligibility Requirements
- Microenterprises must operate within Milpitas city limits
- Microenterprises must not exceed five (5) employees (including W2 employees and sole proprietors)
- Microenterprises must operate as a for-profit enterprise
- Microenterprises must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) by March 31, 2024 in order to receive funding if selected
- The business owner must be at or below 80% Area Median Income (AMI) for Santa Clara County
- Microenterprises cannot be an excluded business category
Full program details and resources include demo videos regarding how to submit an application, obtain a UEI and more.
