Coronavirus: Barrington Microenterprise Grant Stabilization

BARRINGTON, RI —Barrington has joined other state communities in launching a Microenterprise Stabilization Grant Program to offer capital grant to qualifying small business suffering the impacts of the new coronavirus. Grant up to $5,000 are available to each approved applicant in a single lump-sum payment.

Barrington has access to $50,000 of the funds. No town funds are involved. All of the funding comes from the federal Community Development Block Grant program made available through the Rhode Island Office of Housing and Community Development.

"We recognize that small businesses in Barrington are suffering from the COVID-19 restrictions," said Town Manager, Jim Cunha. "We hope that the Microenterprise Stabilization Grant Program can bring some relief to our business community."

Applications are being accepted now with priority given to those qualifying microenterprises with the greatest number of employees and who have been in operation the longest. A microenterprise is a business of five or fewer employees, one or more of whom owns a computer.The business must be physically located in Barringtonwith the owner's gross annual family income not exceeding fund's threshold based on the family size and community where the owner lives.

Money must be used to cover business costs, such as rent, staffing and utilities. They cannot be used for capital purchases, property purchases, construction, business expansion or lobbying.

Contact the Barrington Economic Development Office at 247-1900 ext. 365 or dpagetrim@barrington.ri.gov.

Potential applicants then will need to complete a phone interview with town staff to determine program eligibility with the first applicants by May 4 being referred to the Local Initiatives Support Corporation for processing.

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