Grant program benefits Oneida County small businesses

ROME — Mohawk Valley EDGE, in cooperation with Oneida County, offers a Microenterprise Grant Program to help new and existing small businesses take on projects that lead to job creation. Available to Oneida County businesses outside of the cities of Utica and Rome with five or fewer employees, the program provides reimbursable grants of up to $35,000. Projects must create at least one new full-time job. “It’s best used for investment in new equipment, perhaps inventory, or if your business is looking to implement a new technology,” says Mohawk Valley EDGE VP of Economic Development Tim Fitzgerald. The grants can be used to cover up to 90 percent of the cost of projects, with the remaining 10 percent coming from an equity contribution from the grant recipient. “That can be a sticking point,” Fitzgerald notes, as some businesses may not have the capital to invest. Fortunately, there are options for funding to help out such as the Mohawk Valley Economic Development District. “One of their programs is bridge lending for programs just like this.” While businesses in all industries are eligible if they meet the criteria, the program prioritizes businesses in manufacturing and agribusiness. In the last funding round, which awarded $170,000 to six businesses, five of those businesses were farming related, Fitzgerald notes. One of those businesses went on to create just over two full-time jobs from the funding, exceeding the one-job goal. “It’s nice when you have those overperformers,” Fitzgerald notes. In addition to creating that job, businesses that receive funding must stay in business for two years after receiving the grant. Other businesses that have benefited from the Microenterprise Grant Program include a music studio and a business creating a technology platform to connect refugee/immigrant chefs to opportunities. “There are really neat things this program has been able to facilitate,” Fitzgerald says. Oneida County applies for the program funding from the New York State Office of Community Renewal, and Mohawk Valley EDGE administers the program on behalf of the county. EDGE is now accepting applications for the sixth round of funding through the program, and the funding must be committed by May 2026. The funding is awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis. Mohawk Valley EDGE works closely with other organizations, such as the Mohawk Valley Small Business Development Center, to make sure businesses and entrepreneurs are aware of the funding.