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Bottom Line

News from Seattle's Office of Economic Development

The Small Business Stabilization Fund is OPEN!

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አማርኛ | 繁體中文 | 한국인 | Soomaali | Español | ไทย | Tiếng Việt

We are excited to announce that the Small Business Stabilization Fund is accepting applications starting today, October 19, 2021. The deadline for applications is November 9 at 11:59 p.m. The application is available in eight languages at seattle.gov/SmallBusinessStabilizationFund. 

The Seattle Office of Economic Development is investing an additional $4 million to stabilize micro and small businesses negatively impacted by COVID-19 by providing cash grants through the Small Business Stabilization Fund. The Fund will provide $5,000, $10,000 and $20,000 grants to eligible small businesses to be used on operational expenses such as rent, wages, equipment and more. 

For this new round, the Stabilization Fund will support small businesses with up to 50 full-time equivalent employees and accept applications from those who received a Stabilization Fund grant in past rounds. All eligible applicants will need to submit an online application, including past awardees and businesses who previously applied. Only one grantee per business, address, household, Employee Identification Number (EIN), Unified Business Identifier (UBI) number and/or City Business License number can apply.  

To qualify for a grant, eligible businesses must:  

  • Have an active City of Seattle Business License.  
  • Have filed City Business and Occupation (B&O) taxes and paid in full if owed. 
  • Be located in Seattle city limits. 

For the full eligibility list, required documentation and more information, visit seattle.gov/SmallBusinessStabilizationFund.   

Virtual Information Session 

The Small Business Development Team will host a virtual information session on how to apply for the Stabilization Fund on October 21 at 2 p.m. Bilingual interpretation and translated materials will be available in Amharic, Chinese, Korean, Somali, Spanish, Thai and Vietnamese. Click here to join: Stabilization Fund Round Six Information Session. Businesses can submit their questions here: LINK. The information session will be recorded and available on our website alongside the presentation slide deck after the session. 

If you need assistance to complete the online application, language access services, accommodations or accessibility information, please contact the Seattle Office of Economic Development at 206-684-8090 or oed@seattle.gov.  

Apply for the Small Business Stabilization Fund

The Seattle Office of Economic Development is committed to building an equitable and inclusive economy that benefits the whole city by promoting access to economic opportunities for all of Seattle’s diverse communities. The Small Business Development Team helps small business owners stabilize and grow through direct investment strategies such as the Small Business Stabilization Fund, technical assistance programs, and by connecting them to additional resources. 

የአነስተኛ ንግድ ማረጋጊያ ፈንድ ክፍት ነው! 

የአነስተኛ ንግድ ማረጋጊያ ፈንድ ከዛሬ ጥቅምት 19 ቀን 2021 ጀምሮ ማመልከቻዎችን እየተቀበለ መሆኑን ስናስታውቅ ደስተኞች ነን። የማመልከቻዎች የጊዜ ገደብ ህዳር 9 በ 11:59 ከሌሊቱ ነው። ማመልከቻው በስምንት ቋንቋዎች ይገኛል seattle.gov/SmallBusinessStabilizationFund። 

በአነስተኛ ንግድ የማረጋጊያ ፈንድ በኩል የገንዘብ ስጦታዎችን በማድረግ በCOVID-19 አሉታዊ ተፅእኖ የደረሰባቸውን ጥቃቅን እና አነስተኛ ንግዶችን ለማረጋጋት የሲያትል የኢኮኖሚ ልማት ጽ/ቤት ተጨማሪ $4 ሚሊዮን ዶላር ኢንቨስት እያደረገ ነው። ገንዘቡ ብቁ ለሆኑ ትናንሽ ንግዶች እንደ ኪራይ፣ ደመወዝ፣ መሣሪያ እና ሌሎችም ባሉ የሥራ ማስኬጃ ወጪዎች ላይ ጥቅም ላይ እንዲውል $5,000 ዶላር፣ $10,000 ዶላር እና $20,000 ዶላር እርዳታዎችን ይሰጣል። 

ለዚህ አዲስ ዙር የማረጋጊያ ፈንድ እስከ 50 የሙሉ ጊዜ አቻ ሠራተኞች ያላቸውን አነስተኛ ንግዶችን ይደግፋል እንዲሁም ባለፉት ዙሮች የማረጋጊያ ፈንድ ስጦታ አግኝተውም ክሆነ የነሱንም ማመልከቻዎች ይቀበላል። ሁሉም ብቁ አመልካቾች፣ ቀደምት ተሸላሚዎች እና ቀደም ሲል ያመለከቱ ንግዶችን ጨምሮ የኦንላይን ማመልከቻ ማስገባት አለባቸው። ባንድ ንግድ፣ አድራሻ፣ ቤተሰብ፣ የሰራተኛ መለያ ቁጥር (EIN)፣ ልዩ የንግድ መታወቂያ (UBI) ቁጥር እና/ወይም የከተማ ንግድ ፈቃድ ቁጥር አንድ እርዳታ ተቀባይ ብቻ ማመልከት ይችላል።  

ለዕርዳታ ብቁ ለመሆን ብቁ የሆኑ ንግዶች የሚከተሉትን ማድረግ አለባቸው:  

  • አሁን የሚሠራ የሲያትል የንግድ ሥራ ፈቃድ ያልዎት።  
  • የከተማ ንግድ እና ሥራ (B&O) ግብሮች አስገብተው እና ዕዳ ካለባቸው ሙሉ በሙሉ የከፈሉ። 
  • በሲያትል ከተማ ወሰኖች ውስጥ ያሉ። 

ለሙሉ የብቁነት ዝርዝር፣ አስፈላጊ ሰነድ እና ተጨማሪ መረጃ፣ ይጎብኙ seattle.gov/SmallBusinessStabilizationFund።   

ምናባዊ የመረጃ ክፍለ ጊዜ 

አነስተኛ ንግድ ልማት ቡድን እንዴት ለመረጋጋት ፈንድ ማመልከት እንደሚቻል ላይ ጥቅምት 21 ቀን ከምሽቱ 2 ሰዓት ምናባዊ የመረጃ ክፍለ ጊዜን ያካሄዳል። የሁለት ቋንቋ ትርጓሜ እና በጽሑፍ የተተረጎሙ ቁሳቁሶች በአማርኛ፣ በቻይንኛ፣ በኮሪያ፣ በሶማሌ፣ በስፓኒሽ፣ በታይ እና በቬትናምኛ ይገኛሉ። ለመቀላቀል እዚህ ጠቅ ያድርጉ: የማረጋጊያ ፈንድ ስድስተኛው ዙር የመረጃ ክፍለ ጊዜ። የመረጃ ክፍለ ጊዜው ይመዘገባል እና ከክፍለ ጊዜው በኋላ በድህረገፃችን ላይ ከማይንቀሳቀስ የፊልም ማቅረቢያ ጥራዝ ጋር ይገኛል። 

የኦንላይን ማመልከቻን ለማጠናቀቅ፣ የቋንቋ መዳረሻ አገልግሎቶችን፣ ማረፊያዎችን ወይም የተደራሽነት መረጃን ለማግኘት እርዳታ ከፈለጉ እባክዎን በሲያትል የኢኮኖሚ ልማት ቢሮ በ 206-684-8090 ወይም oed@seattle.gov ያግኙን።  

ለአነስተኛ ንግድ ማረጋጊያ ፈንድ ያመልክቱ 

የሲያትል የኢኮኖሚ ልማት ጽሕፈት ቤት ለሁሉም የሲያትል የተለያዩ ማኅበረሰቦች የኢኮኖሚ ዕድሎችን ተደራሽነት በማስተዋወቅ ከተማዋን በሙሉ የሚጠቅም ፍትሐዊና ሁሉን አቀፍ ኢኮኖሚ ለመገንባት ቁርጠኛ ነው። የአነስተኛ ንግድ ሥራ ልማት ቡድን እንደ አነስተኛ ንግድ ማረጋጊያ ፈንድ፣ የቴክኒክ ድጋፍ መርሃ ግብሮች፣ እና ከተጨማሪ ሀብቶች ጋር በማገናኘት የአነስተኛ የንግድ ሥራ ባለቤቶች በቀጥታ እንዲረጋጉ እና እንዲያድጉ ይረዳል። 

“小型企業穩定基金”現已開放！ 

我們很高興地宣布，“小型企業穩定基金”將從今天 2021 年 10 月 19 日開始接受申請。申請截止日期為 11 月 9 日晚上 11:59。該申請將以八種語言版本在提供：seattle.gov/SmallBusinessStabilizationFund。 

西雅圖經濟發展辦公室（Seattle Office of Economic Development）將額外投資 400 萬美元，通過”小型企業穩定基金”提供現金贈款，以穩定受到 COVID-19 負面影響的微型和小型企業。該基金將向符合條件的小型企業提供 5,000 美元、10,000 美元和 20,000 美元不等金額的資助，用於支付租金、工資、設備等運營費用。 

“穩定基金”將通過新一輪撥款幫助擁有不超過 50 名全職員工的小型企業，在過去幾輪中已獲得過穩定基金資助的企業也能申請。所有符合條件的申請人都需要在線提交申請，包括過去已得到過補助金或之前申請過的企業。 每個企業、地址、住戶、僱員識別號 (Employee Identification Number，EIN)、統一業務標識符號 (Unified Business Identification，UBI) 和/或市營業執照號（City Business License）只能有一名申請者。 

要獲得補助金，符合條件的企業必須： 

  • 持有效的西雅圖市營業執照。 
  • 已支付市商業和職業 (Business and Occupation，B&O) 稅並已全額繳付欠款（如有）。 
  • 位於西雅圖城市邊界内。 

若要查看完整的資格條件列單、所需文件和更多信息，請訪問 seattle.gov/SmallBusinessStabilizationFund。 

線上資訊會議 

小型企業發展團隊（Small Business Development Team）將於 10 月 21 日下午 2 點舉辦關於如何申請“穩定基金”的線上資訊會議。將提供阿姆哈拉語、中文、韓語、索馬里語、西班牙語、泰語和越南語的會議口譯和資料翻譯。點擊此處加入：第六輪“穩定基金”資訊會議。資訊會議將被錄下來，並在會議結束後與演示幻燈片一起在我們的網站上提供。 

如果您在完成線上申請、語言服務、無障礙便利安排方面需要幫助，請致電 206-684-8090 或發送電子郵件至oed@seattle.gov聯繫西雅圖經濟發展辦公室。 

申請“小型企業穩定基金” 

西雅圖經濟發展辦公室致力於讓西雅圖所有多元化社區獲得經濟機會，建立一個整個城市都能受惠的公平和包容性經濟。 小型企業發展團隊通過“小型企業穩定基金”、技術援助計劃等直接投資策略，以及給小企業介紹其他資源來幫助小企業主保持穩定和發展。 

중소기업 안정화 자금이 오픈 되었습니다! 

중소기업 안정화 자금이 2021년 10월 19일 오늘부터 신청서를 접수하게 된 것을 발표하게 되어 매우 기쁩니다. 신청 마감은 11월 9일 오후 11시 59분까지입니다. 신청서는 다음 사이트에서 8개의 언어로 제공됩니다: seattle.gov/SmallBusinessStabilizationFund. 

시애틀 경제 개발국(Seattle Office of Economic Development)은 중소기업 안정화 자금(Small Business Stabilization Fund)을 통해 현금 보조금을 제공함으로써 COVID-19로 부정적인 영향을 받은 소상공인 및 소규모 사업체를 안정화하기 위해 추가로 400만 달러를 투자하고 있습니다. 해당 자금은 임대료, 급여, 장비 등과 같은 운영 비용에 사용될 수 있도록 적격 소규모 사업체에 $5,000, $10,000 및 $20,000의 보조금을 제공할 것입니다. 

이번 신규 회차에서, 해당 안정화 자금은 정규직에 상당하는 직원 최대 50명을 보유한 소규모 사업체를 지원하고 이전 회차에서 안정화 자금 보조금을 받았던 지원자들의 신청서를 수락합니다. 과거 보조금 수령자 및 이전에 지원했던 사업체를 포함한 모든 적격 신청자는 온라인 신청서를 제출해야 합니다. 사업체, 주소, 가구, 직원 식별 번호(Emploee Identification Number, EIN), 통합 사업체 식별(Unified Business Identifier, UBI) 번호 및/또는 시 사업자 등록(City Business License) 번호당 한 명의 수령자만 선정될 수 있습니다.  

보조금을 받으려면, 적격 사업체는 다음을 충족해야 합니다:  

  • 유효한 시애틀시 사업자 등록증 보유.  
  • 시 사업 및 직업(Business and Occupation, B&O)세를 신고했으며 연체된 금액은 전액 납부 완료. 
  • 시애틀시 경계 내에 위치. 

전체 해당 자격 목록, 구비 서류 및 자세한 정보는 다음을 방문하십시오: seattle.gov/SmallBusinessStabilizationFund.  

온라인 설명회 

중소기업 개발팀(Small Business Development Team)은10월 21일 오후 2시에 안정화 자금 신청 방법에 대한 온라인 설명회를 개최합니다. 이중 언어 통역 및 번역된 자료는 암하라어, 중국어, 한국어, 소말리아어, 스페인어, 태국어 및 베트남어로 제공됩니다. 참여를 원하시면 여기를 클릭하십시오: 제 6차 안정화 자금 설명회. 설명회는 녹화되어 설명회 이후에 발표 화면 자료와 함께 당국 웹사이트에 게시될 것입니다. 

온라인 신청서 작성, 언어 접근 서비스, 장애 편의 서비스 또는 접근성 정보를 위해 도움이 필요하면 시애틀 경제 개발국(206-684-8090) 또는 oed@seattle.gov로 연락주십시오.  

중소기업 안정화 자금을 신청하세요

시애틀 경제 개발국은 시애틀의 다양한 커뮤니티 모두를 위해 경제적 기회에 대한 접근성을 촉진함으로써 도시 전체를 이롭게 하는 평등하고 포용적인 경제를 구축하기 위해 노력하고 있습니다. 중소기업 개발팀은 중소기업 안정화 자금과 같은 직접적인 투자 전략, 기술 지원 프로그램 및 추가 자원과의 연결을 통해 소규모 사업체 소유주들이 안정화되고 성장하도록 돕습니다. 

Sanduuqa Xasilinta Ganacsiga Yaryar ayaa FURAN! 

Waxaan ku faraxsanahay inaan ku dhawaaqno in Sanduuqa Xasilinta Ganacsiga Yaryar uu aqbalayo codsiyada laga bilaabo maanta, Oktoobar 19, 2021. Waqtiga ugu dambeyo oo lacodsankaro waa 9ka Nofembar 11:59 p.m. Codsiga waxaa lagu heli karaa siddeed luqadood halkan seattle.gov/SmallBusinessStabilizationFund. 

Xafiiska Horumarinta Dhaqaalaha ee Seattle wuxuu maalgelinayaa $4 milyan oo dollar dheeraad ah si loo xasiliyo ganacsiyada yaryar ee ay saamaynta cudurka COVID-19 iyadoo la siinayo deeqo lacageed sanduuqa Xasilinta Ganacsiga Yaryar. Sanduuqa wuxuu siin doonaa $ 5,000, $ 10,000 iyo $20,000 oo deeq ah ganacsiyada yaryar ee u qalma si loogu adeegsado kharashaadka hawlgalka sida kirada, mushaharka, qalabka iyo wax badan oo kale. 

Wareeggan cusub, Sanduuqa Xasilinta wuxuu ku gargaari doonaa ganacsiyada yaryar oo leh ilaa 50 shaqaale u dhigma waqti buuxa wuxuuna ka aqbali doonaa codsiyada kuwa helay deeqda Sanduuqa Xasilinta wareegyadii la soo dhaafay. Dhammaan codsadayaasha u -qalma waxay u baahan doonaan inay soo gudbiyaan codsiga online ah, oo ay ku jiraan kuwii hore loo siiyay iyo odayaasha horay loo abaalmariyey. Waxaa jiri doona hal bixiye ganacsi kasta, cinwaan kasta, guri kasta, Lambarka Aqoonsiga Shaqaalaha (EIN), Lambarka Aqoonsiga Ganacsiga Gaarka ah (UBI) yo/ama lambarka liisanka Ganacsiga Magaalada ayaa codsan kara.  

Si aad deeqda ugu qalanto, ganacsiyada waa inay:  

  • Hayso Shatiga Ganacsiga ee Magaalada Seattle.  
  • Waa xareyey canshuuraha Ganacsiga Magaalada iyo Shaqada (B&O) oo aad si buuxda u bixisay haddii lagugu leeyahay.
  • Wey Ku taalaa xadka magaalada Seattle. 

Liiska uqalmitaanka oo buuxa, dukumentiyada loo baahan yahay iyo macluumaad dheeraad ah, booqo seattle.gov/SmallBusinessStabilizationFund.   

Kulanka Maclumaadka ee laga qeyb geli karo onlaynka. 

Kooxda Horumarinta Ganacsiga Yaryar waxay martigelin doonaan kulan barashada ah oo ku saabsan sida loo dalbado Sanduuqa Xasilinta Oktoobar 21 markay tahay 2 -da duhurnimo. Fasiraad iyo qalabka lagu turjumay ayaa lagu heli doonaa Amxaar, Shiine, Kuuriya, Soomaali, Isbaanish, Thai iyo Fiyatnaamiis. Taboo halkan si aad ugu biirto: Kulanka Xog -ururinta Wareegga Lixaad ee Sanduuqa Xasilinta. Fadhiga macluumaadka ayaa la duubi doonaa oo laga heli karaa bogga internetka iyo bogagga bandhigga (power point) ee fadhiga markee damaato ka dib. 

Haddii aad u baahan tahay kaalmo si aad u dhammaystirto arjiga onlaynka ah, adeegyada gelitaanka luqadda, hoyga ama macluumaadka helitaanka; fadlan kala xiriir Xafiiska Horumarinta Dhaqaalaha Seattle 206-684-8090 ama oed@seattle.gov.  

U codso Sanduuqa Xasilinta Ganacsiga Yaryar 

Xafiiska Horumarinta Dhaqaalaha ee Seattle waxaa ka go’an inuu dhiso dhaqaale loo wada siman yahay kaas oo faa’ido u leh magaalada oo dhan isagoo kor u qaadaya helitaanka fursadaha dhaqaale ee dhammaan bulshooyinka kala duwan ee Seattle. Kooxda Horumarinta Ganacsiga Yaryar waxay ka caawiyaan milkiilayaasha meheradaha yaryar inay xasiliyaan oo ay koraan iyagoo adeegsanaya xeelado maalgashi oo toos ah sida Sanduuqa Xasilinta Ganacsiga Yaryar, barnaamijyada kaalmada farsamada, iyo iyagoo ku xiraya soo kabasho dheeraad ah. 

¡El periodo para la solicitud del Fondo de estabilización para negocios pequeños está ABIERTO! 

Nos complace anunciar que el Fondo de estabilización para negocios pequeños está aceptando solicitudes a partir de hoy 19 de octubre del 2021. La fecha límite para recibir solicitudes es el 9 de noviembre a las 11:59 p. m. La solicitud está disponible en ocho idiomas en seattle.gov/SmallBusinessStabilizationFund. 

La Oficina de Desarrollo Económico está invirtiendo $4 millones adicionales para estabilizar a las micro y pequeñas empresas afectadas negativamente por el COVID-19 al proporcionar subsidios en efectivo a través del Fondo de estabilización para negocios pequeños. El Fondo proporcionará subsidios de $5,000, $10,000 y $20,000 a negocios pequeños que cumplan con los requisitos para que los utilicen en gastos operativos como alquiler, salarios, equipo y más.  

Para esta nueva ronda, el Fondo de estabilización para negocios pequeños apoyará a los negocios pequeños con hasta 50 empleados equivalentes a tiempo completo y aceptará solicitudes de aquellos que recibieron un subsidio del Fondo de estabilización en rondas anteriores. Todos los solicitantes que cumplen con los requisitos deberán presentar una solicitud en línea, incluidos los beneficiarios anteriores y los negocios que solicitaron los fondos anteriormente. Envíe una solicitud por negocio, dirección, hogar, Número de Identificación de Empleado (EIN), Número de Identificación Comercial Única (UBI) y/o número de Licencia Comercial de la Ciudad.  

Para poder recibir un subsidio, los negocios que cumplen con los requisitos deben:  

  • Tener una licencia Comercial vigente de la Ciudad de Seattle.  
  • Estar al día en el pago de los impuestos sobre las actividades económicas (Business and Occupation o B&O) de la Ciudad. 
  • Estar ubicado en los límites de la ciudad de Seattle. 

Para obtener la lista completa de los requisitos, la documentación necesaria y más información, visite seattle.gov/SmallBusinessStabilizationFund.   

Sesión informativa virtual 

El Equipo de Desarrollo de Negocios Pequeños organizará una sesión informativa virtual sobre cómo solicitar el Fondo de estabilización el 21 de octubre a las 2:00 p. m. Habrá interpretación bilingüe y materiales traducidos disponibles en amárico, chino, coreano, somalí, español, tailandés y vietnamita. Haga clic aquí para participar en la: Sesión informativa de la sexta ronda del Fondo de estabilización. La sesión de información se grabará y estará disponible en nuestro sitio web junto con la presentación de diapositivas después de la sesión. 

Si necesita ayuda para llenar la solicitud en línea, o necesita servicios de acceso al idioma, adaptaciones o información sobre accesibilidad, comuníquese con la Oficina de Desarrollo Económico de Seattle al 206-684-8090 o envíe un correo electrónico a oed@seattle.gov.  

Solicite el Fondo de estabilización para negocios pequeños 

La Oficina de Desarrollo Económico de Seattle se compromete a construir una economía equitativa e inclusiva que beneficie a toda la ciudad al promover el acceso a oportunidades económicas para todas las diversas comunidades de Seattle. El Equipo de Desarrollo para Negocios Pequeños ayuda a los propietarios de negocios pequeños a estabilizarse y crecer a través de estrategias de inversión directa como el Fondo de estabilización para negocios pequeños, programas de asistencia técnica y conectándolos con recursos adicionales. 

 กองทุนรักษาเสถียรภาพธุรกิจขนาดเล็กเปิดรับใบสมัครแล้ว! 

เรายินดีที่จะแจ้งให้คุณทราบว่ากองทุนรักษาเสถียรภาพธุรกิจขนาดเล็กกำลังเปิดรับใบสมัครเรื่มตั้งแต่วันที่ 19 ตุลาคม 2021 ปิดรับสมัครวันที่ 9 พฤศจิกายน เวลา 23:59 น. ขณะนี้แอปพลิเคชันมีบริการทั้งหมดแปดภาษา ที่ seattle.gov/SmallBusinessStabilizationFund 

สำนักงานพัฒนาเศรษฐกิจซีแอตเทิลกำลังลงทุนเพิ่มอีก 4 ล้านดอลลาร์ เพื่อสร้างความมั่นคงให้กับธุรกิจขนาดเล็กมาก และขนาดเล็กที่ได้รับผลกระทบจากสถานการณ์โรคระบาด โควิด-19 ด้วยการมอบเงินช่วยเหลือผ่านกองทุนรักษาเสถียรภาพธุรกิจขนาดเล็ก กองทุนจะมอบเงินช่วยเหลือจำนวน 5,000 ดอลลาร์ 10,000 ดอลลาร์ และ 20,000 ดอลลาร์ให้แก่ธุรกิจขนาดเล็กที่มีสิทธิ์ เพื่อใช้เป็นค่าใช้จ่ายในการดำเนินธุรกิจ เช่น ค่าเช่า ค่าจ้าง อุปกรณ์ และอื่น ๆ 

สำหรับรอบใหม่นี้ กองทุนรักษาเสถียรภาพจะสนับสนุนธุรกิจขนาดเล็กที่มีพนักงานเทียบเท่าเต็มเวลาสูงสุด 50 คน และรับใบสมัครจากผู้ที่ได้รับเงินช่วยเหลือจากในรอบก่อนหน้านี้ ผู้สมัครที่มีสิทธิ์ทั้งหมดจะต้องส่งใบสมัครทางออนไลน์ รวมถึงผู้ที่เคยได้รับเงินทุนช่วยเหลือและธุรกิจที่เคยสมัครไว้รอบก่อนหน้านี้ สามารถสมัครรับสิทธิ์ได้เพียงหนึ่งรายต่อธุรกิจ ที่อยู่ ครัวเรือน หมายเลขประจำตัวผู้เสียภาษี (EIN) หมายเลขประจำตัวผู้ประกอบการธุรกิจ (UBI) และ/หรือหมายเลขใบอนุญาตประกอบธุรกิจของเมือง  

เพื่อให้มีสิทธิ์ได้รับทุนช่วยเหลือ ธุรกิจที่มีสิทธิ์ได้รับเลือกจะต้อง:  

  • มีใบอนุญาตประกอบธุรกิจเมืองซีแอตเทิลที่ยังไม่หมดอายุ  
  • ชำระภาษีธุรกิจและอาชีพ (B&O) ให้แก่เมืองซีแอตเทิลแล้วเต็มจำนวนหากยังติดค้างอยู่ 
  • ตั้งอยู่ในเขตเมืองซีแอตเทิล 

หรับข้อกำหนดทั้งหมดเกี่ยวกับคุณสมบัติของผู้สมัคร เอกสารที่จำเป็น และข้อมูลเพิ่มเติม โปรดไปที่  seattle.gov/SmallBusinessStabilizationFund 

การประชุมออนไลน์เสมือนจริงเพื่อให้ข้อมูล 

ทีมพัฒนาธุรกิจขนาดเล็กจะจัดการประชุมออนไลน์ให้ข้อมูลเกี่ยวกับวิธีการสมัครเพื่อขอรับทุนรักษาเสถียรภาพใน วันที่ 21 ตุลาคม เวลา 14.00 น มีข้อมูลทรัพยากรที่ได้รับการแปลภาษาแล้ว และล่ามแปลภาษาให้บริการเป็นภาษาอัมฮาริก จีน เกาหลี โซมาลี สเปน ไทย และเวียดนาม คลิกที่นี่เพื่อเข้าร่วม: การประชุมออนไลน์ให้ข้อมูลเกี่ยวกับการมอบเงินช่วยเหลือจากองทุนรักษาเสถียรภาพรอบที่หก ธุรกิจต่าง ๆ สามารถส่งคำถามมาได้ ที่นี่ การประชุมออนไลน์จะถูกบันทึกจัดเก็บไว้ควบคู่ไปกับสไลด์ที่ใช้ประกอบในการนำเสนอ หลังจากการประชุมเสร็จ คุณสามารถย้อนดูได้ในเว็บไซต์ของเรา 

หากคุณต้องการความช่วยเหลือในการกรอกใบสมัครออนไลน์ เรามีบริการด้านภาษา การอำนวยความสะดวก หรือการเข้าถึงข้อมูล โปรดติดต่อสำนักงานพัฒนาเศรษฐกิจเมืองซีแอตเทิลที่ 206-684-8090 หรือ oed@seattle.gov  

สมัครขอรับเงินทุนรักษาเสถียรภาพธุรกิจขนาดเล็ก 

สำนักงานพัฒนาเศรษฐกิจเมืองแอตเทิลมุ่งมั่นที่จะสร้างพัฒนาเศรษฐกิจให้เท่าเทียมกันและทั่วถึง ซึ่งเป็นประโยชน์ต่อเมืองโดยการส่งเสริมการเข้าถึงโอกาสทางเศรษฐกิจสำหรับชุมชนที่หลากหลายในเมืองซีแอตเทิล ทีมงานพัฒนาธุรกิจขนาดเล็กช่วยให้เจ้าของธุรกิจขนาดเล็กมีความมั่นคงและเติบโตผ่านกลยุทธ์การลงทุนโดยตรง เช่น กองทุนรักษาเสถียรภาพธุรกิจขนาดเล็ก โปรแกรมความช่วยเหลือด้านเทคนิค และโดยการเชื่อมต่อเข้ากับแหล่งข้อมูลเพิ่มเติม 

Quỹ Bình Ổn Doanh Nghiệp Nhỏ đã MỞ! 

Chúng tôi vui mừng thông báo rằng Quỹ Bình Ổn Doanh Nghiệp Nhỏ đang nhận đơn đăng ký bắt đầu từ hôm nay, ngày 19 tháng 10 năm 2021. Hạn chót nhận hồ sơ là ngày 9 tháng 11 lúc 11h59 tối. Hồ sơ đăng ký này có sẵn bằng tám ngôn ngữ tại seattle.gov/SmallBusinessStabilizationFund. 

Văn Phòng Phát Triển Kinh Tế Seattle đang đầu tư thêm 4 triệu đô la để ổn định các doanh nghiệp siêu nhỏ và nhỏ bị ảnh hưởng tiêu cực bởi COVID-19, bằng cách cung cấp các khoản tài trợ bằng tiền mặt thông qua Quỹ Bình Ổn Doanh Nghiệp Nhỏ. Quỹ sẽ cung cấp các khoản tài trợ giá trị $5.000, $10.000 và $20.000 cho các doanh nghiệp nhỏ đủ điều kiện để sử dụng vào các chi phí hoạt động như tiền thuê nhà, tiền lương, thiết bị và hơn thế nữa. 

Đối với vòng hỗ trợ mới này, Quỹ Bình Ổn sẽ hỗ trợ các doanh nghiệp nhỏ có tối đa 50 nhân viên toàn thời gian hoặc tương đương, và chấp nhận cả đơn đăng ký của những người đã nhận được khoản tài trợ của Quỹ Bình Ổn trong các vòng trước. Tất cả các ứng viên đủ điều kiện sẽ cần phải nộp đơn đăng ký trực tuyến, bao gồm cả những người đã nhận được gói tài trợ trong quá khứ và các doanh nghiệp đã nộp đơn trước đó. Chỉ một người được nộp đơn đăng ký cho mỗi doanh nghiệp, địa chỉ, hộ gia đình, Số Nhận Dạng Nhân Viên (Employee Identification Number – EIN), Số Nhận Dạng Doanh Nghiệp Thống Nhất (Unified Business Identification – UBI) và/hoặc Số Giấy Phép Kinh Doanh từ Thành Phố.  

Để đủ tiêu chuẩn nhận khoản trợ cấp, các doanh nghiệp đủ điều kiện phải:  

  • Có giấy phép kinh doanh còn hạn được cấp bởi Thành Phố Seattle.  
  • Đã nộp thuế Kinh Doanh và Nghề Nghiệp (City Business and Occupation – B&O) của Thành Phố và thanh toán đầy đủ nếu còn nợ. 
  • Nằm trong địa giới thành phố Seattle. 

Để có danh sách của các điều kiện nộp đơn, tài liệu bắt buộc và thêm thông tin, hãy truy cập seattle.gov/SmallBusinessStabilizationFund.   

Buổi Cung Cấp Thông Tin Trực Tuyến 

Nhóm Phát Triển Doanh Nghiệp Nhỏ sẽ tổ chức một buổi thông tin trực tuyến về cách đăng ký đơn xin hỗ trợ từ Quỹ Bình Ổn vào ngày 21 tháng 10 lúc 2h chiều. Các tài liệu phiên dịch và thông dịch song ngữ sẽ được cung cấp bằng tiếng Amharic, tiếng Trung, tiếng Hàn, tiếng Somali, tiếng Tây Ban Nha, tiếng Thái và tiếng Việt. Hãy nhấp vào đây để tham gia: Buổi Cung Cấp Thông Tin Về Lần Trợ Cấp Thứ 6 của Quỹ Bình Ổn. Các thông tin sẽ được ghi lại và có sẵn trên trang mạng của chúng tôi cùng với tài liệu thuyết trình sau khi buổi thông tin kết thúc. 

Nếu quý vị cần hỗ trợ để hoàn thành đơn đăng ký trực tuyến, các dịch vụ ngôn ngữ, hỗ trợ tiếp cận hoặc thông tin hỗ trợ cho người khuyết tật, vui lòng liên hệ với Văn Phòng Phát Triển Kinh Tế của Seattle theo số 206-684-8090 hoặc oed@seattle.gov.  

Đăng ký Quỹ Bình Ổn Doanh Nghiệp Nhỏ 

Văn Phòng Phát Triển Kinh Tế Seattle cam kết xây dựng một nền kinh tế bình đẳng và bao gồm tất cả, mang lại lợi ích cho toàn thành phố, bằng cách thúc đẩy khả năng tiếp cận các cơ hội kinh tế cho tất cả các cộng đồng đa dạng của Seattle. Nhóm Phát Triển Doanh Nghiệp Nhỏ giúp các chủ doanh nghiệp nhỏ ổn định và phát triển, thông qua các chiến lược đầu tư trực tiếp như Quỹ Bình Ổn Doanh Nghiệp Nhỏ, các chương trình hỗ trợ kỹ thuật và bằng cách kết nối họ với các nguồn lực hỗ trợ. 

Celebrate Latinx Heritage Month: OED Spotlights South Park’s New Farmers Market, El Mercadito

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Tuesday nights at South Park Plaza is the place to be. Cultivate South Park—a coalition of South Park residents dedicated to building community through food and public spaces—hosts El Mercadito, the newest famers market in Seattle.  

Young-Women Empowered youth distributing produce to community members at El Mercadito's grand opening.
Young-Women Empowered youth distributing produce to community members at El Mercadito’s grand opening. Photo by Chera Amlag.

Prior to the onset of the pandemic, the U.S. Department of Agriculture identified the census track that includes South Park as having a substantial share of residents that are low-income, more than a half mile from the nearest supermarket, and without a personal vehicle. El Mercadito was started last year as a community response to the food insecurity exacerbated by the pandemic. When many workers were laid off or had their hours reduced and could not afford food, community members stepped in to ensure that families had access to fresh, healthy food. El Mercadito was a market-style food bank led by Urban Fresh Food Collective Director and Cultivate South Park member Monica Perez who served free produce to South Park residents – no questions asked – behind Resistencia Coffee.    

“Our Mercadito community is made of hard working joyful humans, many of which are being displaced because of gentrification. Having a community space where we can all gather and access food is an act of justice. This Mercadito Farmers Market is organized by Cultivate South Park and Urban Fresh Food Collective and was born from a diverse group of community members’ dedication to mutual aid during COVID. Unlike most farmer’s markets in King County, the Mercadito has a resource and mutual aid space open during each market day.”

Monica Perez, Director of the Urban Fresh Food Collective and Cultivate South Park member
The variety of produce and goods at El Mercadito. Photos by Monica Perez.

In June, Cultivate South Park received a $153,307 grant from Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) to support food banks who serve r low-income individuals and families in the Delridge, Georgetown, and South Park neighborhoods. A few months afterwards, organizers reached out to the Seattle Office of Economic Development (OED) for permitting support in creating a new farmers market. OED staff from across the department provided technical assistance to Cultivate South Park and worked closely with Seattle Parks to coordinate and align a smooth process for permitting and vendor compliance.  

El Mercadito expanded and launched as an official City of Seattle Farmer’s Market on August 24 and is a new space for local artists, artisans, and small farmers, and  continues to offer free produce to community members. Conformed by almost 20 vendors who sell culturally relevant food and good such as pastries, pasta, medicinal plants, art, jewelry, and more. Since it’s opening, OED staff have staffed tables at the market to provide technical assistance to business owners and  connected community members to other programs OED offers such as the Digital Sales Access Program and the Youth Web Design Program. 

Chera Amlag (OED Business District Advocate), Cote Soerens (Owner of Resistencia Coffee), and Domonique Meeks (OED Small Business Advocate) posing together at El Mercadito
Left to Right: Chera Amlag (OED Business District Advocate), Cote Soerens (Owner of Resistencia Coffee), and Domonique Meeks (OED Small Business Advocate) at El Mercadito. Photo by Chera Amlag.

In the next five year Perez hopes that El Mercadito will “keep growing spaces in communities where we all thrive and care for each other and where minority businesses prosper economically. South Park people deserve it.”

El Mercadito is open every Tuesday from 3 – 7 p.m. at South Park Plaza, 8456 Dallas Ave S. Know a food business or creative who is interested in vending at El Mercadito? Sign up to become a vendor at El Mercadito. And be sure to follow El Mercadito on Instagram (@elmercaditosouthpark) or on their website.  

City of Seattle and Partners Host Second Set of Welcome Back Weeks to Support Local Arts and Culture

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Masking and proof of vaccination are required at all City of Seattle Welcome Back events

Mayor Jenny A. Durkan announced a schedule of arts and cultural events that will take place as part of Welcome Back Weeks occurring from September 4-19. This is the second set of Welcome Back Weeks convened by the City and partners, with the goal of helping downtown small businesses, arts and cultural organizations, and creative workers recover.

The City is hosting three events that center our historic arts and cultural scene, small businesses, and the creative workers who define our city:

  1. Friday, September 10, 4-10 p.m.: Borealis, A Festival of Light will present free immersive light and sound experiences designed specifically for the historic Paramount Theatre. Proof of full vaccination and masks are both required for entry to this event. Tickets are completely free, and can be accessed through the Paramount’s website on a first come, first-served basis.
  2. Saturday, September 18, 4-7 p.m.: City and partners will host a Celebrate Black Lives Matter festival at City Hall Plaza. There will be performances curated by queer artist collective Legendary Children. In addition, the festival will feature local Black-owned culinary artists and retailers. This is an entirely outdoors event, and masks and vaccinations are required.
  3. Sunday, September 19, 2 p.m. to sunset: Welcome Back Seattle Welcome Back Seattle finale concert at the Mural Amphitheatre at Seattle Center. The Vera Project will host art activities including screen printing and button making from 2-4 p.m. Live performances start at 4 p.m., with local hip-hop, soul, and R’n’B artists Sango, Fly Moon Royalty and Essam are performing. This is an entirely outdoors event, and masks and vaccinations are required.

Details on all events can be found at seattle.gov/covidrecovery.

New this month, Downtown Seattle Association will welcome people to take a spin on the Westlake Park Roller Rink, supported by Community Sponsors Amazon and Alaska Airlines. Skaters can roll in the park free-of-charge starting Saturday, September 4. The City also partnered with the Intentionalist to sponsor promotions for BIPOC, women, and LGBTQ+-owned downtown small businesses throughout September.

As COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations increase, caused largely by the Delta variant spreading primarily among unvaccinated people, the City is committed to centering health and safety at our events. As such, all events will include a vaccination and masking requirement, and will incorporate social distancing to the extent possible.

We hope to see you downtown this September as we help our creative workers, small businesses, and arts and culture industries reopen and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Welcome Back Weeks Attended By At Least 15,000 People, Spur Economic Activity and Support for Workers Downtown

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Photo by Jacqueline Wu.
Digable Planets (right to left: Ladybug Mecca, Doodlebug, and Butterfly) performing at Westlake Park at Welcome Back to Westlake | Photo by Jacqueline Wu.

Welcome Back Weeks Catalyzed Tens of Thousands of Dollars in Spending at Downtown Small Businesses

Mayor Jenny A. Durkan today announced the outcomes of Welcome Back Weeks – a two-week effort from the City and downtown partners to bring workers, small businesses, and visitors back to downtown Seattle. As part of Welcome Back Weeks, the City invested more than $300,000 dollars directly into small businesses, artists, and cultural organizations who have been significantly impacted by the pandemic. Those investments support nearly 500 small businesses, and 80 percent of those are owned by women or people of color. The City is also employing 200 artists and cultural workers, many of whom haven’t been able to perform in person for 16 months, and 90 percent of the City-hired creative workers are women or people of color. 

Across the City’s large-scale events and partner promotions, the City estimates that at least 15,000 visited downtown Seattle to participate in Welcome Back Weeks. In addition, the City’s small business partnerships resulted in tens of thousands of dollars in new spending at downtown small businesses.

“Downton Seattle is our city’s economic engine and heartbeat, and it was devasted during the COVID-19 pandemic and economic downturn,” said Mayor Durkan. “As we turn our attention to recovery, the City will remain focused on spurring economic activity, supporting workers, and revitalizing our arts and cultural scene. Our Welcome Back Weeks brought tens of thousands of residents and visitors back to our downtown neighborhoods, but this was just the first step in a long and dedicated effort to help our downtown core recover. I’m grateful to our partners across downtown for supporting an equitable and ambitious COVID-19 recovery.”

“It was great to see so many neighbors from all over the city come to celebrate the reopening of Downtown and our urban core. This well-attended community building activity demonstrated how placemaking can connect our community and help our local businesses. The City was able to employ many of our local artists, musicians, and other creatives during these Welcome Back Weeks, after so many haven’t had an opportunity to share their talents that help make Seattle such a great place to live. These events marked the first of many steps in our recovery, and foreshadow the positive impact we expect when all businesses return to work Downtown,” said Councilmember Andrew J. Lewis (District 7, Pioneer Square to Magnolia).

The City of Seattle estimates that 5,700 people participated in its large-scale Welcome Back Weeks events, including 2,000 people at the Hing Hay Park event in the Chinatown-International District, 700 people at the Occidental Square event in Pioneer Square, and 3,000 people at the Westlake Park event in Westlake. In addition, the City vaccinated 52 new people across its Welcome Back Weeks clinics, which were a partnership with the Day In • Day Out music festival taking place at Seattle Center this Labor Day weekend.

The Downtown Seattle Association partnered with the City on Welcome Back Weeks, and their efforts resulted in:

  • Welcome Back Booths experienced over 10,000 engagements with people
  • Downtown Summer Sounds is gaining popularity and attendees: more than 100 people at most concerts
  • Recent Beers & Bites event in Occidental Square attracted approximately 1,500 visitors over a three-day period

“People are coming back to downtown, and it’s great to see the activity picking up in the heart of the city,” said Downtown Seattle Association President & CEO Jon Scholes. “We’re seeing the number of daily visitors, total downtown foot traffic and hotel occupancy all trending upward. Downtown is turning a corner and we are keeping up the momentum by organizing Welcome Back Weeks in September to create unique events, activities and experiences you can only get downtown. We invite people to check out www.LoveSeaTown.com to see all that’s happening and come on down to take part.”

As part of Welcome Back Weeks, the City partnered with the Chinatown-International District Business Improvement Area, the Alliance for Pioneer Square, and Intentionalist to support nearly 500 small businesses downtown, 80 percent of which are owned by women of people of color. The outcomes of those partnerships are as follows:

  • The Alliance for Pioneer Square distributed 134 Passports to Pioneer Square, which supports local small businesses in the neighborhood;
  • 423 receipts from 175 different downtown small businesses were uploaded to Intentionalist’s Receipt and Receive program, which amounts to $16,142 in spending at downtown small businesses; and
  • Intentionalist’s Gift Like it Matters program catalyzed more than $10,000 in additional gift certificate revenues for downtown small businesses.

“It was wonderful to see the community come out to support downtown small businesses throughout Welcome Back Weeks,” said Intentionalist CEO, Laura Clise. “Small business owners including Wendy Huynh of Bubble Tea Fresh Fruit in Little Saigon and Vaness Vu of Doner Box in Belltown shared with us that the additional foot traffic and support from the community means a lot as they continue to navigate the ongoing challenges of pandemic recovery. Our community showed up, and it will be important to continue to Spend Like It Matters in the weeks and months to come.”

The Intentionalist placed a Welcome Back Seattle Tab at Yen Ma's Gan Bei, located in the Chinatown-International District. | Photo by the Intentionalist.
The Intentionalist placed a Welcome Back Seattle Tab at Yen Ma’s Gan Bei, located in the Chinatown-International District. | Photo by the Intentionalist.

In an effort to support local artists and small businesses, the City’s Welcome Back Weeks were the launch of the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture’s (ARTS) Created Commons initiative, a new City effort to create a vital lifeline to fund artists and creatives by transforming public spaces into venues for spectacular temporary arts and cultural extravaganzas. Through this effort, the City employed approximately 200 artists and cultural workers as part of the events, many of whom haven’t been able to perform in person for 16 months, and 90 percent of the City-hired creative workers are women, LGBTQ+ and/or people of color.

“The Created Commons event was amazing! Hing Hay Park was full of people excited to be back together enjoying shows and we were one of them,” shared Bleachbear, who performed at the Welcome Back to the Chinatown-International District event. “It felt wonderful to be up on the stage again. In fact, after such a long hiatus from playing live shows during the pandemic, we were probably more pumped to be playing a show than any time we could remember! While it felt new in ways, it was also comfortable and familiar, and it just felt awesome to see familiar faces from past shows singing along with us. Pulling together events in City parks with local performers was a brilliant way to get the community connected again, and we were so glad to be a part of it.”

“I personally didn’t realize how much the Welcome Back Week shows would impact me as an artist until I was on stage at Hing Hay Park looking out into the crowd as I started my first song, realizing I would be singing songs for my family and my community. [It was my] first time onstage since the pandemic shut everything down in 2020,” shared Daniel Pak, artist and Executive Director of Totem Star, who performed at the Welcome Back to the Chinatown-International District event. “Special thanks to Jenny Ku at ARTS for championing youth voice and culture, as she advocated strongly to get youth artists on the stages at Hing Hay, Occidental, and Westlake. Witnessing Totem Star artists bring so much love and joy to the community shows us how far we’ve come and also where we need to go to ensure that young people have a platform to share their stories and perspectives as the future cultural leaders of Seattle.”

Totem Star's Sharmaine performed at Occidental Square as part of Welcome Back to Pioneer Square. | Photo by Jacqueline Wu.
Totem Star’s Sharmaine performed at Occidental Square as part of Welcome Back to Pioneer Square. | Photo by Jacqueline Wu.

Welcome Back Weeks are a key element of the City’s Road to Downtown Recovery plan, which seeks to bring workers, small businesses, and visitors back downtown. You can find more information on the City’s downtown recovery efforts at www.seattle.gov/covidrecovery. 

Digable Planets to Headline Free Sunset Concert at Welcome Back to Westlake Event

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City Partners With More Than 30 Restaurants and Retailers for Halloween in July Trick-or-Treating at Westlake. Welcome Back to Pioneer Square and Westlake Events Taking Place This Saturday and Sunday.

Mayor Jenny A. Durkan announced final lineups and activations as part of the City of Seattle’s large-scale Welcome Back to Pioneer Square and Welcome Back to Westlake events taking place Saturday, July 24, and Sunday, July 25, respectively. Renowned hip-hop trio Digable Planets will headline the free Sunset Concert at Westlake Park alongside a lineup of Seattle-based artists. The Welcome Back to Westlake event will also feature a Halloween in July celebration, and the City has partnered with more than 30 restaurants and retailers to host trick-or-treating for kids and families.

The Welcome Back Seattle events in Pioneer Square and Westlake are predominantly outside, and will align with current statewide reopening protocols. Unvaccinated attendees should wear a face covering indoors as well as outdoors if they are unable to maintain social distance. In addition, the Seattle Fire Department (SFD) will host a pop-up vaccine clinic at both events. SFD will administer Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, and Pfizer at these clinics, and patients can get their first or second dose. If a patient is receiving their second dose, they’ll need to show proof of vaccination. If a patient receives their first dose of Moderna or Pfizer, SFD will provide them with locations to schedule their second dose. The first 100 people who receive their first or second dose at the City’s Welcome Back Weeks pop-up vaccination clinics will receive a free single-day ticket to the Day In • Day Out music festival. As of July 20, 81.5 percent of Seattle residents have begun the vaccination process, and 76.2 percent of residents have completed the vaccination process.

“Our first Welcome Back Seattle event in the Chinatown-International District was incredible. It was so heartening to see Seattleites and our neighbors from across the state and country come together to dance, celebrate, and gather once again as a community,” said Mayor Durkan. “I hope you’ll participate in our Welcome Back Week events in Pioneer Square and Westlake. We’re offering some of the best things you’ve missed over the last year and a half, whether that’s Halloween and trick-or-treating, live music from a renowned group, or promotions with your favorite restaurants and retailers.”

Stylized photo of Pioneer Square; Explore old and new favorites in the neighborhood, Occidental Square, July 24, 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

Welcome Back Pioneer Square takes place in Occidental Square Saturday, July 24, from 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m., and live music begins right at 10:30 a.m. Party Hat Gallery will be on-site providing free screen printing of a design by Seattle artist and gallerist Tariqa Waters. The Intentionalist and Alliance for Pioneer Square are also providing small business promotions in alignment with the Welcome Back Week events. You can find a full lineup of performers and events here.

Stylized graphic of Westlake Park; Halloween in July, Westlake Park & nearby retailers, July 25, 12-9 p.m.

Welcome Back to Westlake takes place in Westlake Park Sunday, July 25, from 12-9 p.m., with live performances beginning right at noon. Digable Planets will headline with a Sunset Concert beginning at 8 p.m., and the full lineup of performances is available here. The Halloween in July and trick-or-treat events will take place from 12-4 p.m., and families can find a full list and map of participating trick-or-treat locations here. Attendees are encouraged to wear Halloween costumes and participate in the costume contest taking place at 4 p.m. in Westlake Park, with prizes from Nepantla Gallery, Bite Society, and other local retailers. Party Hat Gallery will again be on-site providing free screen printing of a design by Seattle artist Brandon Vosika.

“The Created Commons programming has been a great success in connecting working creatives with opportunities that meet the civic needs of this particular moment in time, said Calandra Childers, Acting Director of ARTS (Office of Arts & Culture).“We’ve been able to hire more than 200 artists to reignite our neighborhoods, bring customers to small businesses, and even get more folks vaccinated. I love that we’re closing out with Digable Planets – an iconic Seattle hip hop trio that speaks to our past and our future.”

“Seattle is near and dear to my heart, and nothing brings me more joy than to see opportunities for us to reconnect as a community and enjoy our beautiful summer weather together,” said Pamela Banks, Interim Director of the Seattle Office of Economic Development. “This weekend I hope individuals and families from across the city and region meet us in Pioneer Square and Westlake to enjoy the concert, trick or treat at participating shops, support the local retailers and restaurants, and have a great time!”

Welcome Back Seattle is a part of ARTS’ Created Commons initiative, a new City effort to create a vital lifeline to fund artists and creatives by transforming public spaces into venues for spectacular temporary arts and cultural extravaganzas.


Welcome Back Weeks are a key element of the City’s Road to Downtown Recovery plan, which seeks to bring workers, small businesses, and visitors back downtown. You can find more information on the City’s downtown recovery efforts at seattle.gov/covidrecovery.

$30 Million to Invest in Equitable Communities

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On Tuesday, June 13, Mayor Durkan transmitted to Council the community-led Equitable Communities Initiative Task Force’s recommendations for $30 million in investments to improve outcomes for Seattle’s Black, Indigenous and people of color communities. The Office of Economic Development worked closely with the Task Force to support the development of recommendations and will help implement programs aimed at investing in economic equity, including access to capital for small and micro business, financial and technical assistance, and pathways to health careers.

Investing in Equitable Communities, $30 million; Building Opportunity through Small Business Support; Developing Diverse and Culturally Competent Educators and Education Opportunities; Accessing Affordable Housing, Land Acquisition and Generational Wealth; Improving Positive Health Outcomes; photo of downtown in background

Mayor Jenny A. Durkan transmitted $30 million in investments recommended by the Equitable Communities Initiative Task Force (ECITF) to improve disparate outcomes for Seattle’s Black, Indigenous, and people of color communities. The investments begin to correct disparities caused by government-sanctioned and racist policies, which negatively affect the Black and Indigenous communities at disproportionate rates. The legislation was developed after Task Force members and city departments developed implementation plans for each recommended strategy. 

In 2020, Mayor Durkan requested that the City, for the first time, build the budget around $100 million in investments in BIPOC communities. The Mayor used all of the City’s resources to balance the budget during a historic shortfall, including: $73 million from the City’s emergency reserves, $20 million in reductions to the Seattle Police Department, a wage freeze for non-represented employees, redirecting voter-approved levy dollars to support basic city operations, federal relief assistance, and new City revenues. The Equitable Communities Initiative Task Force is one element of the overall $100 million investment. 

“Today, Seattle is delivering on its commitment to address generational wrongs that have had a devastating impact on communities of color. These impactful community leaders have fought for justice within their communities, volunteered their time, and expertise to make recommendations that are the first step towards righting past wrongs. The best ideas come from the community, and their work underscores that fact. By working together, they’ve shown what’s possible when the government steps out of the way so that community can step forward with real solutions. I look forward to seeing these investments serving the urgent needs of communities that have for far too long been grossly under-funded.” 

“The ECI Task Force focused on targeting investments to the most significant and pervasive systemic challenges facing communities of color in our city. Their recommendations focus on equity in business development, education, homeownership and healthcare. I applaud the members of the task force for their diligence and determination to find the best path to improve outcomes for generations to come,” said Councilmember Debora Juarez ex-officio Task Force member. 

The Task Force developed nine recommendations with 18 strategies to strengthen communities of color so that they can thrive. The recommendations fall under the following four pillars: 

$7.5 Million – Building Opportunity through Small Business Support 

  • Provide Equitable Small and Micro Business Capital 
  • Offer Small Business Technical Assistance on Financial Health, Digital Tools, and Construction Support 

$7.5 Million – Developing Diverse and Culturally Competent Educators and Education Opportunities 

  • Fund Culturally Supportive Re-entry Programs for Formerly Incarcerated BIPOC 
  • Support Equity in Education with Students 
  • Provide Cultural Education for BIPOC youth 

$8.8 Million – Accessing Affordable Housing, Land Acquisition and Generational Wealth 

  • Establish a Generational Wealth Education Program and Resource Portal 
  • Identify Housing Strategies for Low- and Middle-Income Apprentices and Pre-Apprentices 
  • Broaden Priority Hire and WMBE Support 
  • Create Homeownership Supports and Development Opportunities 
  • Study the Feasibility of a Lease to Own Program 
  • Provide Ownership Retention Resources for BIPOC Families to Remain in Their Homes 

$6.2 Million – Improving Positive Health Outcomes 

  • Provide Holistic Culturally Responsive & Inclusive Healthcare 
  • Improve Access to Culturally Responsive & Inclusive Healthcare 
  • Sustain a Healthy Food Fund for Community-Led Projects Focused on Food Security 
  • Increase Farm to Table Access with a BIPOC Emphasis 
  • Support an Environmental Justice Fund for Community-Led Projects 
  • Address Barriers to BIPOC Professionals Entering the Healthcare Workforce 
  • Enhance Youth Career Exploration in the Healthcare Industry 

Recognizing it will take years of investment to address generations of disinvestment, Mayor Durkan has committed to including another $100 million in her proposed 2022 budget to further address systemic inequities facing BIPOC communities. 

“As we closely examined generational wealth, we found that many BIPOC communities not only don’t have access to housing, but they also don’t have access to the same financial support that many White-led businesses do. We wanted to create opportunities for BIPOC business owners to work with colleagues who resemble those they serve. Through Technical Assistance, we are providing a deeper level of support while they are at the table applying for funding, helping them analyze how much they need, and assist in completing applications,” said Task Force member Donna Moodie, owner of Marjorie. “We can invite them to turn a loan into a forgivable loan simply by attending Technical Assistance classes that would improve their business acumen. This is a win-win create esteemed people in our communities whose business behavior and success can be modeled.” 

“As housing prices continue to rise across Seattle, the Task Force used this opportunity to recommend steps to help address this crisis. Strategies like developing a lease to purchase program will help shift the mindset away from the thought that living in Seattle means that you can’t own. But we also took a broader approach because we know that access to good jobs and access to apprenticeships are also strategies to keep people housed,” said Task Force member Sharon Williams, Executive Director of CD Forum. “The City must also take an active role in developing educational programs that encourage longer-term strategies for families and individuals to create generational wealth. It is our hope that with these recommendations, over time, we will see more people on the path to ownership and remaining stably housed within our City.” 

THE PROCESS 

From December 2020 to June 2021, the Task Force of 26 community leaders met weekly for more than 60 cumulative hours in over 30 meetings. With decades of lived experience and professional expertise, the Task Force developed recommendations using the Office of Planning and Community Development (OPCD) Equitable Development Community Indicators Report as background; tapping into the ingenuity of the Innovation Advisory Council by working with a team of Microsoft data scientists to further disaggregate race-based data within the report; and by taking a comprehensive look at current City investments into BIPOC communities, with an eye towards developing programs to fill gaps within the system and strengthening programs with proven success. 

Throughout April, and due to COVID-19 safety precautions, the task force facilitator, The Profitable NonProfit hosted a series of virtual stakeholder meetings inviting rank and file community members, peer organizations, business owners, and community-based organization leadership to ensure recommendations mirrored community needs and priorities. 

Following the announcement of their recommendations, the Task Force began convening weekly with City departments to help inform on the creation of implementation strategies that can be quickly launched so that millions in investments will begin landing in the community by the end of 2021. Task Force members thought deeply about systemic barriers to BIPOC organizations in accessing City funds and worked with the City to define ways to lower barriers that have blocked communities of color in the Requests for Proposals (RFP) process. Some of the strategies include: 

  • Being intentional about who the investments were targeting by giving priority to organizations led by people of color, and serving communities furthest from equity. 
  • Providing language access to reduce language barriers for potential applicants. 
  • Including technical support for prospective applicants and continued support throughout the process. 
  • Launching a simplified low-barrier RFP specifically targeting small organizations. 

After seven weeks of collaboration and discussion with the Task Force, eight departments developed implementation strategies based on Task Force recommendations, including the Department of Early Education and Learning; Department of Finance and Administrative Services; Department of Neighborhoods; Human Services Department; Office of Arts and Culture; Office of Economic Development; Office of Housing; and the Office of Sustainability and Environment. 

NEXT STEPS 

The $30 million investment was allocated in the 2021 budget, however, the funding is currently under Council proviso, meaning that recommendations cannot be implemented and money disbursed to the community until the proviso is lifted. The Task Force will present their spend plan with 18 investment strategies to the Seattle City Council Finance and Housing Committee on Tuesday, July 20 at 9:30 a.m. and request that the legislation is passed on to the full Council to lift the proviso. With swift Council action, City departments expect to begin developing RFP’s in the coming weeks with a surge of investments landing in the community by the end of 2021. 

Task Force members are in ongoing discussions with the City on continued engagement to ensure accountability and tracking of investment outcomes. Further, the City of Seattle recently launched a disparity study to identify and remove inequities in the City’s soliciting and procuring of contracts and awarding of public funds.  For more information on the Equitable Communities Initiative visit: seattle.gov/equitable-communities-initiative. 

Reimagining Commercial Space Usage

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Ballard Blossom Provides New Pop-up Space for BIPOC and Women Owned Small Businesses  

On July 1, Seattle Office of Economic Development (OED) Director Pamela L. Banks and Deputy Director Tina Inay met with Ballard Alliance Executive Director Mike Stewart and Senior Development Manager Devin Reynolds to tour the old Ballard Blossom retail store. Currently, this location is serving as a small Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) business pop-up incubator space.  

Seattle Office of Economic Development, Ballard Alliance, and Cafe Avole owner Solomon Dubie outside of the Ballard pop-up incubator space.
Seattle Office of Economic Development, Ballard Alliance, and Small Business Advisory Council/Cafe Avole owner Solomon Dubie outside of the Ballard pop-up incubator space. Right to left: Ballard Alliance Executive Director Mike Stewart, OED Deputy Director Tina Inay, Small Business Advisory Council/Cafe Avole owner Solomon Dubie, OED Director Pamela L. Banks, and Ballard Alliance Senior Development Manager Devin Reynolds. Photo by Phillip Sit.

In 2018, the original Ballard Blossom proprietor moved when the building was slated for demolition to build a 7-story hotel. However, the pandemic’s economic impact stalled the development of the hotel. With support from OED, Ballard Alliance worked with the property owner to transform and activate the space for a new purpose. Last summer, Ballard Alliance’s Ballard Public Art Committee selected five artists to cover the building in murals – each mural sharing a message that is connected through floral elements as a nod to the former building tenant.    

After the development of the murals, Ballard Alliance realized that the space could temporarily host pop-up small businesses before the building is demolished. Since April, Ballard Alliance has successfully partnered with seven small businesses to fill the space, turning the formerly vacant building into an opportunity for local entrepreneurs to have commercial space. All seven of the current businesses are either BIPOC-owned, women-owned, or both. Prior to this new endeavor, none of these businesses had a brick-and-mortar space of their own.  The Pop-up small businesses include:  

Ballard Alliance’s long-term goals include  growing and scaling these successful pop-ups into a traditional retail space within the district. As the city at large—and OED specifically—implement immediate and longer term economic recovery strategies, reimagining how commercial spaces are used will continue to be a strategy for economic recovery and community resilience.  

Drop by the Ballard pop-up business incubator space at 1766 NW  Market St. And support small businesses.  

Seattle Office of Economic Development Partners With Comcast to Launch New Digital Point-of-Sales Program

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Public and private partnerships are providing critical solutions to address the digital divide for small businesses.

The City of Seattle Office of Economic Development (OED) and Comcast are partnering to launch and expand critical digital resources to support Seattle’s small businesses most impacted by COVID-19 and the digital divide. Comcast contributed nearly $40,000 in addition to OED’s $50,000 investment to Kay Tita, a social impact nonprofit, who will implement the new Digital Sales Access Program (DSAP). DSAP will support 50 small businesses by equipping them with a point-of-sales (POS) system and connecting participating businesses with tools and training needed to pivot their operations to a new digital system. This new system will allow small business owners to grow their business by switching from cash-only to accepting debit, credit and other digital forms of payment. This program will increase businesses e‑commerce capacity and improve businesses digital literacy, financial awareness and overall business health.

Additionally, OED and Comcast partnered with community-based organization HomeSight and neighborhood business districts to expand the Essential Southeast Seattle Initiative (ESES) online marketplace for small businesses. ESES is part of a digital access initiative for local businesses in Southeast Seattle to adapt to an increasingly digital economy, with targeted support for small Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) businesses. This program includes an e-commerce platform for Southeast Seattle small businesses; digital access support to get their business online; and technology equipment to meet business needs. This initiative was developed in response to COVID-19 with a $50,000 investment from Comcast to encourage and support the community’s ability to shop local and support small businesses through online platforms.

“This past year has been truly devastating for so many of our small businesses. We saw early on that businesses that could quickly pivot to online delivery and e-commerce solutions were able to adapt more readily to the challenges of this pandemic. As we look towards recovery and reopening, it will take all of us working together to develop creative and innovative solutions to address the issues that impact our most vulnerable businesses. I am proud of the intentional collaborative approach our Office of Economic Development has been taking, by working with organizations such as Comcast, HomeSight and Kay Tita, among others, to connect small businesses to technology and the digital and financial literacy resources that will help them not only stabilize but thrive after this truly unprecedented year.”

Mayor Jenny Durkan.

“Seattle is a technology hub; however, some small businesses do not have the same level of technological infrastructure that other businesses have. Comcast and other local organizations have been critical partners for OED, as we have worked together to respond to the digital divide that is impacting our small businesses owned by people of color, immigrants and refugees. Public-private partnerships will support our ability to more quickly and holistically respond to the great needs our small businesses have.”

Pamela Banks, Director of the Office of Economic Development and Director of Recovery and Equitable Investments.

“Strong public-private partnerships are uniquely positioned to have a positive impact and support important causes in our local community. Our collaboration with the Office of Economic Development over the last year is a direct example of that. We are proud to work with Kay Tita, HomeSight, and OED to support the recovery of Seattle’s vibrant BIPOC small business community and help it grow through more equitable access to technology, funding and other resources.”

Rodrigo Lopez, Region Senior Vice President, Comcast Washington.

To be eligible for the new Digital Sales Access Program, small businesses must have a maximum of five employees; be interested in learning how to leverage digital resources to grow their business; and be cash-only or in need of a POS upgrade. Each eligible business owner will receive POS equipment, a Square stand, an iPad Air and one-on-one POS training. Businesses that meet the eligibility requirements can apply by Tuesday, June 15, and find more information at kaytita.org/dsap.

“To have digital access is only part of the journey. We’ve created a program where a personal connection with the business owners is integral in every step of sharing, learning, and growing.”

David Pierre-Louis, Founder and Executive Director of Kay Tita.

Addressing the digital divide by removing digital access barriers that exacerbated the negative economic impact of COVID-19 on small businesses, particularly BIPOC small and medium-size businesses, is a key strategy of OED. Ongoing public health restrictions have increased businesses and customers’ dependence on e-commerce and technology capabilities to keep businesses functioning and connect customers to the goods and services they need. Small businesses with the equipment, capital and digital skillset were able to pivot more quickly than those that lacked access to POS systems, capital to purchase technology and specialized digital literacy skills.

For small businesses without capital or with language barriers, it can be dauting to adopt and implement new technologies without support. New or up to date equipment can revolutionize the way a business functions and ensure they can remain competitive. For this reason, OED and private partners developed programs to provide necessary technical support to business owners so they can develop digital skills to maintain this new technology.

ESES — the collaboration between OED, HomeSight, Comcast and local business districts, including Beacon Hill, Columbia City/Hillman City, Mt. Baker, Othello/MLK and Rainier Beach —recently re-launched essentialseseattle.com featuring more small businesses in the Southeast Seattle neighborhoods. OED encourages residents to support these businesses as some have been the most disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. Southeast Seattle businesses interested in being featured in this digital marketplace can contact commdev@homesightwa.org.

“Essential Southeast Seattle was a SE Seattle business district collaboration originally created in April of 2020 to help combat the loss of business due to the impact of COVID-19, and while it still serves that very purpose, the partnership with the City of Seattle Office of Economic Development and Comcast will help launch our vital small businesses into the digital era. This initiative will provide digital access support and technology equipment to our small businesses — the majority owned by people of color, immigrants and refugees, to help fill the digital void felt in Southeast Seattle. We are incredibly grateful and excited to be a part of this partnership.”

Sarah Valenta, Director of Community and Business Development at HomeSight.

As the City moves toward implementing equitable recovery efforts, investments in resources and programs that support small businesses’ ability to have equal access to digital equipment and digital skills will be required for them to equitably participate in the economy of the future. Additionally, public and private partnerships can strengthen economic recovery and community resilience for Seattle by leveraging each other’s strengths and investments to extend the impact of the resources available.

“We will continue to support our small businesses’ ability not only to survive, but to thrive in our city as we plan for long-term recovery. We will have to be creative in our solutions and intentional in how we implement recovery strategies, especially for our BIPOC businesses who have suffered disproportionately not just from COVID-19, but from institutional racism and disinvestment for generations.”

Pamela Banks, Director of the Office of Economic Development and Director of Recovery and Equitable Investments.

Recently, OED, Comcast and Jacqueline Christian, small business owner of Six17 Salon and recipient of the Small Business Stabilization Fund, participated in a conversation about how we can work together to advance digital equity. To learn more about the importance and impact of public-private partnerships, watch the recording of The Digital Divide for BIPOC Small Businesses panel here.

Comcast’s longstanding commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion accelerated in June 2020 with a $100 million commitment to help drive lasting reform and champion a more connected and equitable world. This commitment included investing in local communities across Washington state and the small businesses that shape them through the Comcast RISE program, a multi-year, multi-faceted initiative designed to help strengthen BIPOC-owned, small businesses hardest hit by the pandemic, by providing marketing and technology upgrades. To date, Comcast has offered grants to approximately 100 businesses statewide, including more than 30 in Seattle, and is accepting applications for the program at comcastrise.com/apply.

OED’s investments in digital access strategies also include the Digital Bridge Program and Youth Web Design Program created in partnership with the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle (ULMS) that provides an opportunity for BIPOC students to learn web design and create professional-level websites for Black-owned small businesses that are without or have limited web presence. This year, OED and ULMS will host two new cohorts that will serve 30 additional BIPOC students and up to 60 interested Black-owned businesses. Students will also earn Seattle Public School Career and Technical Education (CTE) credits toward their graduation requirements in addition to learning web design and marketing, earning an industry accredited website design certification and receiving a paid stipend. Black-owned businesses interested in this program must be based in Seattle and have an up-to-date Seattle Business License Number. Applications are open and eligible businesses can apply here by Tuesday, June 15.

OED continues to support business owners by connecting them to resources from the federal government such as the Economic Injury Disaster Loan, Paycheck Protection Program, Restaurant Revitalization Fund and Shuttered Venue Operators Grant, as well as other resources that are available from the state and philanthropic partners. OED also provides in-language technical assistance to access city, state and federal resources. Businesses can access this service by calling 206-684-8090 or emailing oed@seattle.gov. Bilingual assistance is available in Amharic, Cantonese, Mandarin, Korean, Somali, Spanish, Thai, Tigrinya and Vietnamese. 

The Seattle Office of Economic Development is committed to building an equitable and inclusive economy by promoting access to economic opportunities for all of Seattle’s diverse communities. For more information, visit seattle.gov/EconomicDevelopment. 

Woman using point-of-sales system to pay small business owner. Photo by Blake Wisz on Unsplash.

City of Seattle Reaches $10 Million Milestone in Small Business Investment

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The Seattle Office of Economic Development awarded over $10 million in Small Business Stabilization Fund grants to small businesses impacted by COVID-19

The Office of Economic Development (OED) recently awarded an additional 356 businesses $10,000 grants from the Small Business Stabilization Fund (SBSF), reaching a significant investment milestone of over $10 million in grants to small businesses throughout Seattle who have been impacted by COVID-19 since March 2020. Furthermore, OED awarded $3,150 grants to 647 restaurants and bars from an expanded COVID-19 relief package that specifically focused on restaurants, bars and hospitality workers announced by Mayor Durkan, Council President González, Councilmember Morales and Councilmember Mosqueda in December 2020. To date, nearly 1,500 small businesses and economic opportunity nonprofits have received over $10 million in funding.

“As more and more Seattle residents are getting fully vaccinated against COVID-19, hope is on the horizon — but many of our local small businesses are still facing a long and uncertain road to recovery. Working together in the early days of this crisis, we quickly created the Seattle Small Business Stabilization Fund, which has become a model for cities across our country. This pandemic and the resulting economic downturn have been devastating for too many of our small businesses. I am proud of the OED team for working tirelessly to get these funds into business owners’ hands as quickly as possible. Our region is on the road to recovery, but we are not out of the woods yet. As Seattle reopens, we all still have a role to play in ending this pandemic. Now is not the time to let up on our efforts. Please continue to wear a mask in public, keep your distance and limit social gatherings, get tested if you feel sick, and sign up to receive the vaccine.”

Mayor Jenny Durkan

“Our small businesses have done everything possible to survive, support their employees and continue to serve our community. The need has been significantly greater than the resources the City has had access to. However, I am incredibly proud of the work our Office of Economic Development has done to provide some relief to as many of our small businesses as our resources allowed. As we move toward long-term recovery, we will continue to support our small businesses’ ability not only to survive, but to thrive in our city. We will have to be creative in our solutions and intentional in how we implement recovery strategies, especially for our Black, Indigenous and other people of color businesses who have suffered disproportionately not just from COVID-19, but from institutional racism and disinvestment for generations.”

Pamela Banks, Interim Director of the Office of Economic Development and Director of Recovery and Equitable Investments

“The Small Business Stabilization fund provides a lifeline for hundreds of our local restaurants and bars hardest hit in this economic crisis. Our small businesses are essential to the recovery and revitalization of our neighborhoods across Seattle. Together, we must remain focused on supporting hospitality industry businesses and workers as we continue to wait for federal dollars to meet the deep needs within our city.”

Seattle City Council President Lorena González

“Our economy, workforce and community are only as vibrant as our City’s small businesses. During the COVID-19 pandemic, small businesses have struggled while providing aid to so many. I’m proud to have worked with the Mayor, and my council colleagues, on funding to help keep small businesses afloat during our public health crisis. Small business grants are not the end of the conversation, as we must push for stronger and more equitable policies as we re-open and rebuild, including outdoor dining options, greater transit, and increased public spaces.”

Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda, Position 8 (Citywide)

“Throughout this pandemic, we’ve focused on direct assistance to workers and small business owners, to stabilize the economic recovery in our communities and keep working families whole. As Council begins to allocate additional federal dollars to our city’s recovery, I’ll continue to fight for small businesses and workers, as we know a potential ‘fourth wave’ and emerging variants will continue to impact our city’s ability to return to normal.”

Councilmember Tammy J. Morales, Position 2 (South Seattle and Chinatown/International District)

To prioritize funding to businesses that are most likely to have experienced the greatest economic impacts, OED awarded two-thirds of SBSF grants to businesses with five or fewer employees and from areas identified as highly disadvantaged or at high risk of displacement. To date, 66% of all SBSF grantees are from high-displacement or highly disadvantaged neighborhoods, 60% of the recipients identify as people of color and 43% are women-owned businesses. Additionally, OED allocated nearly 14% of grants from rounds four and five to creative industry small businesses to better support this industry and its workers.

In rounds four and five specifically, 54% of grantees are people of color and 46% are women-owned businesses. Of the grantees for restaurants and bars, 58% of business owners are people of color and 37% are women-owned businesses.

“I assumed ownership of the Hummingbird Saloon only six months prior to the COVID-19 outbreak. COVID-19 forced the closure of my business and the laying off of my entire staff. Funds I have received from the city have assisted greatly in the reopening of my restaurant, and a majority of my employees have returned to work. They have my gratitude.”

Eric Weakland, owner of The Hummingbird Saloon and recipient of the SBSF grant

“We are glad the dark clouds are finally passing with the immunizations happening. We are happy that the city is thinking of small businesses with the Small Business Stabilization Grant, because without it our doors would be closed right now.”

Frank Anduvate, owner of Rumba Notes Lounge and recipient of the SBSF grant

For additional details on the demographics of grantees, please visit the SBSF dashboard. To view the full list of SBSF awardees and recipients of the restaurant and bar grants, please visit the Stabilization Fund Awardees page.

About the Small Business Stabilization Fund

In March 2020, OED quickly launched the Small Business Stabilization Fund to provide emergency capital to small businesses impacted by COVID-19. The SBSF provides $10,000 grants to small businesses and economic opportunity nonprofits throughout Seattle. The latest rounds of the SBSF were funded by the joint COVID-19 relief bill that the Mayor and City Council passed in August 2020.

To be eligible for a grant, a small business or nonprofit was required to have 25 or fewer employees, be located within Seattle city limits, and have an annual net revenue at or below $2 million. Nonprofits had to explicitly provide economic opportunity support through education and/or job training programs to be eligible. All businesses and nonprofit organizations that received a grant committed to not reducing their employees’ wages and benefits provided prior to the COVID-19 emergency.

In December 2020, the City committed additional funding for restaurants, bars and hospitality workers. Whereas the Human Services Department administered grants for hospitality workers, OED partnered with Scholarship Junkies to administer grants to eligible restaurants and bars.

Selection process and new awardees

OED reopened the application portal for the SBSF in November 2020, receiving nearly 4,000 new applications. Due to the high volume of new eligible applicants, SBSF grantees for rounds four and five were selected from the same application pool. Grantees for the restaurant and bar grants were also selected from this same application pool.

OED awarded $10,000 SBSF grants to 237 small businesses and economic opportunity nonprofits in round four and an additional 119 businesses in round five, totaling $3,560,000 in funding. Additionally, $2 million in grants to 647 restaurants and bars were awarded. As a result, over $5.5 million additional funding has been released to support Seattle’s smallest and hardest hit businesses these past few months.

“I’m so thrilled to see that most of the small businesses in the Columbia City area seem to have survived the pandemic. I know that some of them have benefited from the city’s support in these difficult times. It’s so important to work to preserve our unique neighborhood character.”

David Egan, owner of Vino Verite and recipient of the SBSF grant

OED continues to support business owners by connecting them to resources from the federal government such as the Paycheck Protection Program, Economic Injury Disaster Loan and Shuttered Venue Operators Grant, and other resources that are available from the state and philanthropic partners. OED also provides in-language technical assistance to access city, state and federal resources. Businesses can access this service by calling 206-684-8090 or emailing oed@seattle.gov. Bilingual assistance is available in Amharic, Cantonese, Mandarin, Korean, Somali, Spanish, Thai, Tigrinya and Vietnamese. To request in-language assistance, businesses can call 206-684-8090 and note the following information: name, phone number, preferred language and the type of support needed.

The Seattle Office of Economic Development is committed to building an equitable and inclusive economy that benefits the whole city by promoting access to economic opportunities for all of Seattle’s diverse communities. For more information, visit seattle.gov/EconomicDevelopment.

Portrait of business owners in their store, looking at camera, wearing aprons and showing peace sign with hands.

Small Business Update Webinar: January 28, 2021

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The Seattle Office of Economic Development (OED) is committed to supporting small businesses as we work together to mitigate the economic impacts of COVID-19.

Highlights of our January 28 webinar session include:

  • Key elements of the new 2021 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)
  • Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Update
  • New tax provision and updates
  • Washington Small Business Development Center Assistance and Advising

Below are links from the January 28 webinar (please note, you must register for the webinar in order to listen to the recording).

Please continue to monitor this blog and our website for updated information from OED.