What impacts who gets an award?
Several key factors determine which eligible businesses receive a grant. The process is designed to be fair, transparent, and based on criteria set by the State of Minnesota.
Here’s what impacts whether a business receives an award:
📍 Where Your Business Is Located
Applications are compared to others in the same geographic area (e.g., South Minneapolis, St. Paul, Uptown, or North Minneapolis).
Each geographic area has its own pool of funding.
📊 Preference Score
Eligible businesses may receive up to 3 preference points to improve their chances.
You can earn points if:
Your business was in operation in 2021 (+1)
You received a total of $10,000 or less in COVID-19 relief grants from below programs (+1)
Minnesota Small Business Emergency Loan Program
Minnesota Small Business Relief Grants
County Relief Grants to Local Businesses
Minnesota Movie Theater and Convention Center Gr
You experienced a revenue loss over the last two years, based on tax returns (+1)
⏱️ Funds Remains
Applications will be reviewed based on the date a fully complete and correct application is submitted.
As funds are committed over time to eligible and complete applications, later submissions may have less funding available. Timing matters but it’s just one part of the process.
🎲 Random Number
Every application is assigned a computer-generated random number to help break ties in a fair and transparent way.
This only matters if two applications from the same geographic area (like South Minneapolis or St. Paul) have the same preference score. In that case, the random number helps decide which application moves forward.
💡 Keep in Mind
Because funding is limited, not all eligible applications will receive a grant.
