Ham Lake ARPA Business / Non-Profit Relief Grant Program

The City of Ham Lake Economic Development Authority will offer a business and non-profit relief grant program to support local businesses and nonprofits impacted by COVID-19.  Grants will be awarded in an amount not to exceed $20,000.  Applications will be accepted electronically beginning April 18, 2022, at which time the City and the City’s contracted vendor will evaluate the applications. The deadline to apply is 11am on May 13, 2022. Grants will be awarded on a first-come-first-served basis to applicants who meet the program criteria. 

Click here to apply online

Grant Amount

First-time applicants that were not awarded a grant under the previous City of Ham Lake grant program and who meet the eligibility criteria are eligible for an award up to $20,000. Applicants who previously received an award and who meet the eligibility criteria are eligible for an award up to $10,000. Home-based businesses who meet the eligibility criteria are eligible for an award up to $5,000. 

The total amount of American Rescue Plan Act funds allocated towards the Ham Lake business / non-profit relief grant program will not exceed $400,000. 

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicant must be locally owned, operated and domiciled in the State of Minnesota with a physical establishment in Ham Lake.  If there is a parent company or a second location outside of Ham Lake, only the entity located in Ham Lake will be eligible. 
• Preference will be given to applicants operating the following types of businesses: bars, restaurants, churches, hotels, gyms and party rentals. 
• Applicant must certify that the organization has experienced a financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and provide a narrative explanation of this hardship.  
• Applicant must be in good standing with the Minnesota Secretary of State and the Minnesota Department of Revenue as of March 31st, 2021.  If there is an issue pending with the Minnesota Secretary of State, Applicant may still apply for the grant, but will need to demonstrate the issue has been satisfactorily resolved in order to be eligible and receive grant funds. 
• If required, Applicant must be licensed, in good standing.
• Applicant must be current on property taxes.
• Applicant must employ 500 or less employees as of January 1, 2022. 
• Applicant must have been in operation 12 months prior to application.
  • Ham Lake will not disqualify an applicant if there was an ownership change and the business remained in operation within 12 months prior to application. 
• The business must be the primary source of income for the business owner; hobby-based businesses are not eligible.
• Home-based businesses must be independently owned and operated. Consultants and independent contractors for corporate brands are not eligible.

Ineligible Businesses/Restrictions 

• Applicants who have previously received federal, state or local grants for the same expenses.  
• Multi-state chains are generally ineligible except for locally owned franchisees.
• Businesses that primarily derive income from gambling or adult entertainment.
• Businesses that derive income from passive investments; property rentals or property management; billboards or lobbying.
• Businesses that have been disbarred from doing work with the federal government. 
• Non-profits where the sole purpose is fundraising.

Examples of Eligible Usage of Grant Funds 

Grant recipients may use funds for expenses directly related to the impacts of COVID-19 including:

• Rent or mortgage payments (not an eligible expense for home-based businesses)
• Increasing technology capacity to enable alternative work forms
• Marketing and new business development 
• Operating expenses such as paying vendor invoices, payroll, and rent or mortgage payments
• Technical assistance, counseling or other services to support business planning
• Retaining/attracting employees
• Improvements to physical spaces to address COVID-19 healthy and safety concerns
• Other actions to restore financial resiliency and/or support the long-term viability of the business

Grant recipients will be required to use funds by October 31, 2022 and submit a final report of how funds were used by November 30th, 2022. Recipients will be required to provide documentation of expenditures greater than $500. For example, invoices/receipts, payroll records, etc.

The categories outlined above are intended to be general guidance.  Final grant decisions will be made by the City’s contracted vendor in consultation with the City Administrator after a thorough review of all application factors.  After the initial funding round, the City reserves the right to amend any criteria for eligibility as needed to best address the impact of the current pandemic.