The fourth grant cycle will provide grants to small business owners who identify as Native or Indigenous, Hispanic or Latinx, LGBTQ+ or as immigrants, refugees or forcibly displaced.
Membership in Main Street America is not required to be eligible for the Program, but businesses must have a "brick-and-mortar" location and operate in an older or historic main street, downtown, or commercial district in the United States.
Funds can be used towards critical needs such as physical and digital improvements, new equipment, technology, and training to support their financial recovery and growth.
The Inclusive Backing grant program, in partnership with American Express as part of its Backing Small efforts, supports small businesses in older or historic commercial districts across the country as they plan for long-term success and resilience.
This grant program is the latest effort in American Express and Main Street America’s year-round Inclusive Backing initiative, which provides financial support and educational resources to businesses that have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, with preference given to businesses owned by underrepresented groups, including people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities, Veterans, and women.
