Small Business Assistance Grant Program

• Applications will be accepted beginning February 24, 2026 and will remain open through April 20, 2026, or until all program funds have been awarded, whichever is first. Applications will be processed on a rolling basis. 
• If applications exceed the funding available, the fund administrator will allocate available funds on a first-completed basis (an application shall be considered completed when all required program documentation has been received and approved).
• Program Administrator will notify applicants if/when their application has been accepted for review and processing.

Upon notice of selection for review, applicants are required to submit the following within five (5) business days:  

1. Lease or Mortgage documentation that establishes the applicant’s Bloomington-based location and monthly rental/mortgage obligation.
2. Applicant business’s most recent Federal Business Tax Return or appropriate Business Tax Schedule - based on entity type.
3. Evidence of revenue loss due to recent immigration enforcement actions during the comparable time periods (example December 2024 through March 2025 versus December 2025 through March 2026). 
   1. Applicants should submit documentation that best demonstrates the impact and is deemed acceptable to the Program Administrator. 
   2. Some examples of acceptable documentation include comparable-period Sales Tax Reporting, Period Statements from a third-party Sales Platforms, Merchant Services Statements, and Point of Sale or Register reports.
4. Evidence of number of employees as of December 31, 2025, to establish that there are less than 50 FTE employees. Acceptable documentation may include period reporting from a third-party payroll processor, applicant’s Federal Form 941/Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Return, or other State or Federal payroll-related filing.
5. Any additional documentation or information deemed necessary by the Program Administrator to determine eligibility, generate grant documents and tax forms, disburse proceeds, or meet program reporting requirements.
6. Failure to submit required documentation may result in loss of application priority position, and/or forfeiture of grant award.

The purpose of this section is to provide guidance on Frequently Asked Questions related to eligibility and the administration of the Port Authority’s Small Business Assistance Grant Program. Interested parties should consult the program announcement and guidelines for additional information on program specifics and eligibility.

• Will my business documents and information I provide become public?
  NextStage shall collect and retain all documents and information requested of program applicants; no personal data or documents beyond what is requested in the initial application shall be shared with the Port Authority, its staff or governing members. At its discretion, the City of Bloomington/Port Authority may make grant recipients and award amounts public.
• How is my grant amount determined?
  Grant awards for eligible businesses shall be for the equivalent of 2 months’ rent on the Bloomington location submitted in the application, up to a maximum of $10,000.
• Under Eligible Businesses in the program guidelines, What does “make direct sales and/or provide services to the public on a transactional basis” mean?
  The program’s intent is to assist businesses who rely primarily on direct sales to the public on a walk-in or sit-down basis at the location identified in the application, and whose revenue has seen significantly reduced as a result of temporary closure, or loss of regular ‘foot traffic’ during the recent enforcement action. Transaction refers to payment for goods and services received at the time of service. Businesses that generate the majority of their revenue from sales to other businesses, primarily perform work off-site, or generate revenue on recurring contracts or membership fees will generally not be eligible under this program.

• How will funds be disbursed if my business is selected/approved, and how may they be used? Program funds must be used exclusively for the rent/mortgage payments of the applicant’s business facilities. Funds may be released in one of two manners:

  1. As a direct payment to applicant’s lessor. Applicants will be provided a form for landlord’s to complete that confirms the monthly rental amount, acknowledges payment on the applicant’s behalf, and provides banking details for direct receipt of the payment.

  2. As reimbursement for rent paid by the applicant for the identified program period. Applicant will need to provide documentation of their prior payment to receive the reimbursement. Payments related to owned real-estate/mortgages shall be available strictly on a reimbursement basis.