DGAP-News

SMALL BUSINESSES IN WASHINGTON MAY NOW APPLY FOR $200,000 IN RELIEF GRANTS AVAILABLE FROM THE “READY FOR BUSINESS FUND”

DGAP-News: Comcast Washington SMALL BUSINESSES IN WASHINGTON MAY NOW APPLY FOR $200,000 IN RELIEF GRANTS AVAILABLE FROM THE “READY FOR BUSINESS FUND” 13.06.2022 / 14:55 The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. The Ready for Business Fund formed by GSBA – Washington’s LGBTQ+ and allied chamber of commerce – and Comcast is now accepting applications from small businesses throughout Washington seeking financial assistance. Small businesses owners may apply starting today, June 13 through June 26, 2022, at theGSBA.org/ready-for-business. More than $200,000 in grants will be allocated to at least 80 small businesses throughout the state. Watch a video about the Ready for Business Fund here: https://youtu.be/DRDM_0A6ITM.

The grant application is short and easy to complete. Submissions will be reviewed by a committee of volunteers from around the state representing diverse backgrounds and skill sets. All grant recipients will receive wrap-around services from GSBA that include membership and business consulting. All grant applicants will be notified by the last week of July.

According to a 2022 survey, almost all small businesses (97%) are concerned about inflation, and rising costs are the most significant threats small businesses currently face. To provide some relief, the Ready for Business Fund will provide $2,500 cash grants to small businesses with an emphasis on owners who are at greater risk due to systemic barriers, including people of color, women, and members of the LGBTQ+ community. Small businesses located in rural areas of Washington will also be considered.

The Ready for Business Fund was founded in the summer of 2020 with a $100,000 investment from Comcast and GSBA as the fund manager. Over the past two years, the fund has distributed $2,500 cash grants to more than 130 small businesses in Washington.

About GSBA

Established in 1981, GSBA is Washington State's LGBTQ+ and allied chamber of commerce and is the largest of its kind in North America. The chamber represents over 1,400 small business, corporate, and nonprofit members who share the values of promoting diversity, equity, equality, and inclusion in the workplace. GSBA proudly serves as a connector across the region, bringing communities together through business while advocating for civil rights and small business. GSBA also promotes LGBTQ+ tourism through Travel Out Seattle, advocates for small businesses in Seattle’s Capitol Hill Neighborhood through the Capitol Hill Business Alliance (CHBA) and invests in the next generation of LGBTQ and allied leaders through the GSBA Scholarship & Education Fund.