Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens announces $8.2M grants awarded to small businesses, nonprofits impacted by pandemic

ATLANTA – Mayor Andre Dickens announced the award of more than 420 Resurgence grants totaling $8.2 million to assist small businesses and nonprofits impacted by the pandemic.

The Resurgence Grant Fund, administered by Invest Atlanta on behalf of the City of Atlanta, is an American Rescue Plan Act-funded program that offers Atlanta small businesses and nonprofits grants up to $40,000 to cover expenses incurred due to COVID-19 hardships.

“While the city of Atlanta continues to steadily recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of our small businesses owners and nonprofits need capital to continue to grow and serve their communities,” said Mayor Dickens. “The Resurgence Grant Fund is a lifeline for our small businesses and non-profits who will use these funds to reinvest in their businesses and our people.”

The Resurgence Grant Fund includes an additional $1 million set aside for the artist community through the ELEVATE grant program. The remaining $400,000 of that program will be made in grants to local artists this fall.

The Resurgence Grant Fund program supports the City of Atlanta’s Economic Mobility Plan objectives, including assistance for small businesses in disinvested neighborhoods and low median-income census tracts. Grant awards reimburse small businesses and non-profits for COVID-19 related expenses like personal protective equipment, cleaning supplies, other health measures to protect employees and customers, commercial rent, and payroll.

“We are keenly aware that businesses in disadvantaged areas are often disproportionately affected by economic challenges like the pandemic and need to do everything we can to ensure that recovery is equitable,” said Eloisa Klementich, president and CEO of Invest Atlanta. “With the Resurgence Grant Fund, we are able to help more Atlanta businesses regain their footing, especially those in distressed neighborhoods. Together, through the Resurgence Grant Fund in 2022 and 2020, we have provided nearly $30 million in Resurgence grants to over 1,000 businesses and nonprofits.”

Invest Atlanta opened the program on March 1, 2022, and accepted applications through May 27, 2022. A team of 21 Invest Atlanta staff persons thoroughly reviewed the 2,473 applications received and supporting documentation for eligibility and accuracy.

“The number of applications received far exceeds any previous Invest Atlanta program. Understanding that businesses need this funding as quickly as possible, we employed additional staff persons to expedite the process, thoroughly checking each application by hand to ensure that all submitted information was legitimate, verifiable and according to U.S. Treasury guidelines,” added Klementich.

Invest Atlanta has additional programs to support small businesses, including Atlanta Open for Businesses program, small business loans, ATLInBusiness consulting services and other resources.

For more information, visit www.investatlanta.com.