Between the winter cold and successive Covid variants, DC small businesses need new financial assistance opportunities to weather the spring months ahead. City First Enterprises is pleased to step in to help provide that support. 

In partnership with Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED), CFE is managing the Bridge Fund grant program to advance the pandemic recovery and long-term viability of small businesses in the restaurant, retail, and entertainment industries.

Through this nearly $40 million Covid-relief grant program, hundreds of District businesses are expected to receive individual grants ranging from $20,000 to $100,000. The funding is aimed at those that have experienced monthly revenue losses of 20% or more throughout the pandemic.

This is the sixth grant program that CFE has managed on behalf of the District government, totaling more than $80 million to about 2,200 DC entrepreneurs and households — a true public-private partnership that helps ensure timely, secure, third-party technical assistance, application processing, and distribution of funds. 

CFE’s Social Equity Investments team, which leads our grants management work, recently presented to potential applicants about the fund’s requirements and best practices for preparing applications for other grant programs. Recordings of the presentations are posted here by the DC Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD). 

The Bridge Fund application closes Friday, March 18 at 5 pm. We encourage all interested small business owners to visit DMPED’s website for more information and to write to TheBridgeFund@CFEnterprises.org with inquiries.