1

Disproportionately Impacted Business Grant

Available languages: English | Español

Program Summary

The Disproportionately Impacted Business Grant provides funding to Colorado businesses that were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic and did not receive meaningful access to federal loans and grants.

Businesses will receive a minimum of $1,500 and a maximum of $10,000. This grant is intended to cover expenses that have not been covered by other federal funding.

  Applications are not currently open for this program. Please visit our programs and funding directory for open resources

Overview

Type: Grant

For: Businesses disproportionately impacted by the pandemic

Amount: $1,500 to $10,000 per business

Application period: Closed

OEDIT division: Business Funding and Incentives

To be eligible for this grant, your business needs to:

  • have been in existence as of January 1, 2020
  • still be in operation in Colorado
  • have at least one full-time employee, which can be the business owner
  • show at least 10% income loss since March 26, 2020 (compared to the prior year) as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic
  • received less than $20,000 in federal loans and grants
  • meet at least one of these criteria:
    • have 5 or fewer employees, including the business owner
    • be a minority-owned business
    • be a business located in an economically distressed area (opportunity zone, enterprise zone, or historically underutilized business zone)
    • have a business owner is located in an economically distressed area (opportunity zone, enterprise zone, or historically underutilized business zone)
    • have a business owner that has low or moderate income (less than $76,000 per year)
    • have a business owner that has low or moderate personal wealth based on household net worth
    • have a business owner that has had diminished opportunities to access capital or credit

Ineligible businesses include:

  • short-term lodging businesses such as AirBnB rentals
  • non-profit organizations

Businesses cannot receive grant awards greater than the net financial loss the business experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic from March 26, 2020 to the date of application.

To determine how much money you can ask for, you will need to identify your financial need that has not already been met by other public or private funding sources like the Paycheck Protection Program and/or US Small Business Administration loans.

Eligible expenses include:

  • inventory purchases
  • equipment
  • mortgage payments
  • taxes
  • furnishings
  • payroll expenses
  • lease or rent expenditures
  • service agreements
  • COVID-19 related expenses
  • fixtures
  • insurance
  • consultants
  • utilities

 Applications are not currently open for this program. Please visit our programs and funding directory for open resources

The application is available in English and Spanish. The application asks you to submit these documents over a 2-year period:

  • profit and loss statements
  • business tax returns
  • personal tax returns

The application and award process is:

  1. Review eligibility to make sure you qualify and prepare your business’ financial documents.
  2. Complete the application on the Colorado Enterprise Fund website.
  3. The Colorado Enterprise Fund reviews the application and secure financial statements, tax returns, documentation, notes, and comments. They may contact you to request additional information.
  4. The Colorado Enterprise Fund sends approved applicants to OEDIT for review.
  5. OEDIT reviews applicants and confirms the final list of awarded applicants to the Colorado Enterprise Fund.
  6. The Colorado Enterprise Fund informs applicants of a decision and will distribute funds.

We will host webinars throughout November to provide information about the program. Please find more information here as we schedule the webinars. 

  • Tuesday, November 9 at 11am 
  • Monday, November 15 at 9am 
  • Monday, November 15 at 10am | Watch the recording (English, crafted for SBDC network)
  • Monday, November 15 at 11am | Watch the recording (Spanish, crafted for SBDC network)

The Fax Partnership
Contact: Amlaku Estethie
amlaku@thefaxdenver.com
720-476-1547
Language assistance: Spanish, Amharic, Oromo, French, Burmese, and Wolof
Community focus: East Colfax, Denver - Monaco - Yosemite

 

Latino Chamber of Commerce of Boulder County
Contact: Berenice García Tellez
info@latinochamberco.org
720-491-1986
Language assistance: English and Spanish

 

African American Chamber of Commerce
Contact: Maya Wheeler
maya@africanchambercolorado.org
720-696-1326
Language assistance: Arabic, Amharic, Tigrinya, Dinka/Nuer, French, Oromo, Somali, and Wolof

 

East Colfax Community Collective
Contact: Helen Tekle 
helen@eastcolfaxcc.org
720-285-8901
Language assistance: Amharic, Spanish, Burmese, Napali, Karen, and Tigrigna

Program Manager

Connect Further

Sign up for email updates

Sign up for email updates related to the Minority Business Office.

View All Programs