Lincoln businesses benefit from utility grant

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – It was becoming that it was open mic night time on the Crescent Moon as a result of when co-owner Melinda Martinson heard the place would profit from the Small Enterprise Utility Grant, she felt slightly like singing.

“That’s superb,” Martinson stated. “It’s a present. And I do know we’d not be right here proper now if it hadn’t been for the grant moneys that the town and the cash that’s obtainable to us.”

The Crescent Moon’s landlord, Haymarket Sq. Builders, utilized for the grant on the espresso store’s behalf because it did with all different eligible tenants it rents to. Companies like Z3 Expertise, which manufactures video merchandise like encoders, will hardly have to fret about electrical funds in 2023.

“We have been actually excited in regards to the utility grant as a result of it permits us to take a few of this cash and put it again into hiring personnel,” Nate Caldwell, the executive supervisor for Z3 Expertise, stated. “We rent loads of interns from UNL to do loads of our testing.”

The Metropolis of Lincoln arrange the grant utilizing federal “American Rescue Plan Act,” or ARPA, {dollars}.

Companies stuffed out purposes primarily based off of their water and electrical energy prices between August of final yr and September of this yr. A complete of about $800,000 has already gone out or will exit to dozens of companies. The vast majority of Haymarket Sq. Builders’ tenants will profit from the grant

“We have been capable of finding a solution to attain the utmost quantity of small companies doable,” Jonathan Camp, vp of Haymarket Sq. Builders, stated.

Dozens of others will even see some assist overlaying the payments – a welcome shock on the finish of the yr and the possibility to breathe and stretch after two years of holding on.

“We now have been slowly working our means again from the pandemic and actually eager to increase a few of our hours and increase among the music we provide,” Martinson stated.

There’s nonetheless about $700,000 in grant funding on the desk and all eligible companies can apply.

To qualify, companies should meet the next necessities: having been open earlier than February 29, 2020, be for-profit, have 50 or fewer workers, not obtained final yr’s Small Enterprise Stabilization Grant mortgage grant, and be positioned in sure census areas, which embody elements of north Lincoln, downtown and the Union Faculty Enterprise District.

You may apply for the Small Enterprise Utility Grant right here.

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