Mayor Galime announces that grant funding is now available for qualifying woman- and minority-owned businesses with five or fewer employees that are located within the city of Utica.  Applications for the grant are available on the City website https://www.cityofutica.com/departments/urban-and-economic-development/business/MWBE-grant-program/index or by contacting Jack Spaeth, Economic Development Specialist at jspaeth@cityofutica.com or (315) 792-0181.

A total of $165,000 has been set aside for this program out of the City’s 2024-2025 allocation of federal Community Development Block Grant funds.  Assistance through the grant program ranges from a minimum of $5,000 to a maximum of $15,000 and can be used for the purchase of capital assets such as machinery, equipment inventory or for working capital or soft costs.  Awardees will be required to complete a training program, such as that available through the Mohawk Valley Small Business Development Center.

Federal regulations require that either the business owner qualify as low- to moderate-income at time of award or at least one job be created that is available to persons of low- to moderate-income.

Of this new program, Mayor Galime stated “Small businesses are the backbone of any thriving community, including Utica.  Given the diversity of our city, I have long felt that it was important to offer financial assistance to emerging entrepreneurs and business start-ups.

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