The Duke Energy Hometown Revitalization Grant Program is $25,000 administered by Downtown Kinston Revitalization to offer between $500-$2500 to support small businesses (fewer than 50 people) in the City limits that have been challenged by COVID-19 to change their business practices or to improve the external or internal features of their business.
Donor Name: Downtown Kinston Revitalization
State: North Carolina
City: Kinston
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline (mm/dd/yyyy): 01/01/2022
Grant Size: $500-$2500
Details:
Downtown Kinston Revitalization’s mission is to lead downtown revitalization utilizing the Main Street approach to promote economic vitality within the context of historic preservation.
Eligible Uses For The Funds Fall Into Two Categories:
- COVID-19 Reimbursement: Business owners interested in COVID-19 Reimbursement must provide evidence of expenses between March 2020-present due to changes in service, business practices, or physical location due to COVID-19 public health restrictions. These can include, but are not limited to:
- Purchase of extra cleaning or personal protective equipment (masks, cleaning supplies, sanitizer, temperature checking machine, etc)
- Offering new drive-through services due to COVID-19
- Offering new delivery services
- Offering new online purchasing services
- Making physical changes or additions to a business (adding a drive-through window, buying additional seating outdoors, social distancing floor stickers, plexi-glass barriers, etc.)
- Business/Property Improvements: Business owners interested in Business or Property Improvements must provide a proposed budget for new projects to improve a business or property that will attract customers or help the business adapt to public health restrictions. These can include, but are not limited to:
- New Projects that include anything eligible under COVID-19 Reimbursement
- Business improvements
- establishing an online presence, improved advertising, etc.
- Making physical changes or additions to improve the business:
- Façade improvements (paint, sign, awnings, lighting, historic restoration)
- Internal property improvements (paint, flooring, HVAC, ceiling, doors/windows, electrical, plumbing, etc.)
- Internal business improvements (seating, decorations, sales equipment, etc.)
Funding Information
The funds are used to offer $500-$2500 of support small businesses (less than 50 employees) that have been challenged by COVID-19 to change their business practices or to improve the external or internal features of their business.
Eligibility Criteria
- Eligible businesses must complete their work within 6 months of being selected and operate within the City of Kinston city limits.
- As an organization focused on downtown, DK will prioritize applicants located within the Municipal Service District (MSD), but any business within the City limits may apply.
Selection Criteria
In order to have an objective process for awards, evaluation criteria have been set in place:
- 30% Purpose of Grant: Clear statement of what funds will be used for, eligible uses, reference to COVID-19 resiliency as a major part of the grant
- 50% Need & Impact: Description of need for the project, expected outcomes, need for Downtown Kinston to provide program/project.
- 20% Completion & Communicativeness: Completion of the application, complete and clear attachments to the application when requested.
For more information, visit Small Business Grant.
