SAN ANTONIO — Applications are open for the City of San Antonio’s Small Business Construction Support grant. The program offers targeted relief to small businesses impacted by construction-related loss of revenue tied to specific city-initiated projects.
Qualifying businesses may receive up to $35,000 in grant funding to help offset demonstrated losses in 2023 compared to 2022.This program was announced by the City of San Antonio in May of 2024 and is being administered in partnership with LiftFund.
“San Antonio is continually growing and thriving,” City Manager Erik Walsh said. “To keep up with growth, the City values and supports infrastructural upgrades and improvement projects. We prioritize resources and opportunities like this to help alleviate the impacts of construction to our small businesses.”
This targeted program is tied to eight specific construction zones in which work commenced between June 2020 and February 2023. Applications will be scored based on assessed need and will not be disbursed on a first-come, first-served basis.
Eligible construction project areas include:
- Broadway Street Corridor (E Houston to E Hildebrand)
- Bulverde Road Phase 1 (Butterleigh Drive to North of Quiet Meadow Street)
- Zona Cultural Streets
- Santa Rosa- Cesar E. Chavez to Martin
- San Saba- Nueva to Martin
- Commerce- Frio to Santa Rosa
- Gevers Drainage (Cosgrove to Minnetonka)
- South Presa (SE Military to Southcross Blvd)
- South Alamo Street (Market Street to Cesar E. Chavez)
- The Alamo (Area Streets)
- Bynum Avenue Phase 2 (W. Mayfield Blvd to W. Gerald Ave)
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Have a minimum of $10,000 gross sales in 2022.
- Have owned the business and have a formation date on or before Jan. 1, 2022.
- Demonstrate net profit/loss in 2022 that is at least $5,000 greater than net/profit loss in 2023.
- Be a retail or service business that requires customer foot traffic for operations.
- Meet the SBA Size standard for small business.
- Demonstrate net profit/loss in 2021 that is at least $10,000 greater than net/profit loss in 2022. Net profit/loss is based on Line 29 of Schedule C, Line 30 of 1120, Line 21 of 1120S or Line 22 of 1065.
- Be currently in operation and not have filed for bankruptcy at any point in application process.
- Be located within an eligible construction zone and remain for one year from date of grant award.
- Not be in the following categories: non-profits, gambling/gaming businesses; franchisors; sexually oriented businesses; payday & auto loan providers; liquor stores; and businesses in which a city employee or officer has a financial interest, as defined in Sec. 2-53 of the city’s Ethics Code.
- Be the majority owner of the business, or equal share owner with partner.
- Grant awards are limited to one per business at each physical address within the City of San Antonio. Grant applicants with multiple businesses in eligible construction zones are eligible to receive more than one grant award if the applicant can financially differentiate between the businesses (e.g., provide separate financial statements for each business) and each business meets all of the eligibility criteria.
Funds received through this program may be applied to any of these approved business expenses: working capital, machinery and equipment, payroll/health care benefits, contract labor, supplier payments, rent/lease/mortgage payments tied to business property, utility payments tied to business property, and costs incurred due to critical business operations. They cannot be used to make distributions to owners/investors or to acquire new assets.
Applications close on July 15, 2024. Additional details are provided on the grant program website, including a registration link for an info session on June 21. Small businesses with questions may call LiftFund at 800-923-9551.
The city also partnered with LiftFund to offer zero percent interest small business loans, which began in February 2024. Funding is still available to qualified applicants, with more information provided on the loan program website.
