News

June 25, 2020

Statement from Wayman Britt, Kent County Administrator/Controller Regarding Administration of Kent County Small Business Recovery Program Grant Process

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – On June 11, the Kent County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved formation of the Kent County Small Business Recovery Program, funded through the County’s CARES Act grant. The purpose of the program is to provide $25 million in immediate support to small businesses throughout the county that have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

With nearly 26 percent of our population identifying as racially or ethnically diverse, the Board of Commissioners and administration recognize that it is critically important to ensure equitable access to this funding among Black, Latinx and other minority-owned businesses.

55,180 Kent County voters cast an absentee ballot, which makes up 37.8% of the total votes this election. This represents a 125% increase over the number of absentee ballots voted in the 2016 Presidential Primary.

For that reason, the program is focused on those businesses that have been previously unable to access coronavirus relief funds and are otherwise the most disadvantaged. That includes those with language barriers and from underserved communities.

The Kent County COVID Relief Subcommittee of the Board of Commissioners and County staff have valued the input and testimony that groups such as the West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Grand Rapids Black Chamber, the Grand Rapids African American Task Force and LatinxGR have provided to us in multiple presentations between March 28 and May 28. This input has helped give us a better understanding of the unique impact that the pandemic has had on the communities that these groups represent and to identify their greatest needs. We appreciate their collaboration and welcome their continued involvement in the COVID relief planning process.

We also value the highly relevant experience, immediate capabilities and capacity that the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce brings to the table as the contracted administrator of the Small Business Recovery Program. Their role is to administer the grant application and review process and to make recommendations to the County. The County will then make the final decision on the grant recipients and distribute grants directly to small businesses. Importantly, the Grand Rapids Chamber is positioned and prepared to ensure minority-owned businesses will receive equitable funding through this program – and has a proven track record in this area. As part of this process, they have invited many community groups, including those that specifically represent minority populations, to share information about the Small Business Recovery Program with their members. This collaboration will be key to the success of the program.

Finally, in addition to the Small Business Recovery Program grants, Kent County is using CARES Act dollars to provide technical grants to many local business agencies. This includes grants to the West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Grand Rapids Area Black Businesses to help these organizations build capacity to best serve the minority business community during this crisis.

With the Kent County Small Business Recovery Program, we are committed to providing meaningful assistance to the businesses with the most urgent needs in our community – including those that are minority-owned.