Application Insights; Upcoming DEED Webinars
High demand for small business relief grants causes application delays; read tips, insights and sign up for informational webinar
As you likely know, the application period for the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development's Small Business Relief Grants program is now open and will close at 5 p.m. on Thursday, July 2. We are starting to see a number of questions about the application criteria and process, so we thought we'd point our small business friends to some resources.

DEED has created a thorough FAQs page that they are continually updating. This should be the first resource to check for questions. 

Some important things to note:

  • Due to high volume, many people are clicking the application link and are seeing this message: "The system is currently busy, please try again later." We urge you to revisit the application form at a later time when fewer people are trying to apply.
  • Because qualified applicants will be chosen to receive a grant through a lottery-style system, applying for the program when the application first becomes available does NOT improve your chances of getting a grant. What matters is to have the application completed by the 5 p.m. deadline on July 2.
  • While DEED has offered translation of its small business relief grants web page, the application currently is available in English only. Applications in Hmong, Somali and Spanish are expected to be available soon.
  • There are 22 questions on the application. No documents need to be uploaded to apply. The entire application can be completed online using a phone, tablet, laptop or desktop computer.
  • If your response to a question makes you ineligible, you will receive a message that says, "Unfortunately, your business does not qualify for this grant program" and you will not be able to complete the rest of the application.

Upcoming Webinars

DEED staff are hosting several free online webinars on the new Small Business Relief Grants. These webinars will help explain to business leaders how to apply for the grants. Learn more by registering on the DEED website .

Webinar Schedule

  • June 24: 3 - 4 p.m.
  • June 25: 7 - 8 p.m.
  • June 26: 4 - 5 p.m.
  • June 27: 10 - 11 a.m.
  • June 28: 3 - 4 p.m.
  • June 29: 10 - 11 a.m.
  • June 30: 7 - 8 p.m.
The Initiative Foundation will continue to seek other resources to help our small business community, and we will send follow-up emails as warranted. Pease also check our COVID-19 landing page for ongoing updates.  

All the best to you,

Jeff Wig
Vice President for Entrepreneurship
Initiative Foundation
The Initiative Foundation serves the following communities and counties: Benton; Cass; Chisago; Crow Wing; Isanti; Kanabec; Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe; Mille Lacs; Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe; Morrison; Pine; Sherburne; Stearns; Todd; Wadena; and Wright. Learn more at ifound.org .
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Initiative Foundation | (877) 632-9255 |  info@ifound.org  |  ifound.org