Details of new grant program announced by Albany Mayor

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan held a press conference on Monday at 10 a.m. to announce the details of a new grant program for small businesses.

The COVID-19 Small Business Adaptation Program will target small business expenses necessary to upgrade operations to abide by new pandemic health and safety requirements. To apply, complete a 10 to 15-minute pre-application questionnaire to screen for eligibility. Full applications will be available August 18, and they’ll be due by 4 p.m. on September 18.

Eligible businesses can apply for up to $10,000 out of a total of up to $500,000 in available grant resources. The program will be run by Capitalize Albany Corporation, and aims to prioritize minority-, women-, and veteran-owned businesses in low-to-moderate-income areas, which are eligible for up to $20,000.

The grant program will help fund several coronavirus expense categories:

• Reopening: Buying personal protective equipment to reopen safely
• Retraining: New employee training procedures and business practices
• Restocking: Replacing good lost during—or used to supply—recovery efforts
• Reorganizing: Buying furniture, fixtures, and equipment to adapt a physical space
• Reimagining: New programs or products to meet new market demand