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Eligible Businesses

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Eligible Businesses

Base Qualifications for the Growing MI Business Grant Program

Michigan businesses that were in operation on October 1, 2019, are eligible to apply for a Growing MI Business grant if:

  1. Your business satisfies all of the following:
    • Has a physical presence and conducts business operations in Michigan,
    • Falls within one of the nine eligible business categories,
    • Is not tax exempt under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, 26 USC 1 to 9834,
    • Is not a government entity, and
    • Is currently open for business.

       

  2. Your business has a decline in total Michigan sales between calendar year 2019 and 2020 equal to or greater than 5 percent. If not, you are ineligible at this time. Businesses that were in operation on October 1, 2019, must certify that they have sustained a loss of at least 5% in total sales between calendar year 2019 and calendar year 2020.

     

  3. You are able to provide information and associated documentation on “Financial Hardship.” Businesses must be able to demonstrate "financial hardship" by providing information on the following fixed costs:

    • Total non-residential property tax paid for CY 2020 (if applicable)
    • Total lease costs paid for CY 2020 (if applicable) MI unemployment insurance taxes paid for CY 2020 (if applicable)
    • The amount of on-premises retail liquor license fees (if applicable)
    • The amount of license required inspection fees paid under the Michigan Food Inspection law (if applicable)
    • The amount of all other business license or inspection fees (if applicable)

       

  4. You must submit a complete application. A business will have qualified for a grant if, and only if, the business has submitted a completed grant application, has provided supporting financial documentation, has demonstrated that it experienced a decline in total Michigan sales of at least 5%, has certified and attested, under penalty of perjury, to the completeness and accuracy of all information and documents provided in the application, and has agreed to a Beneficiary Agreement that contains the terms and condition for use of the Growing MI Business grant award. Applications will be accepted up until March 31 at 11:59 p.m. EDT. Paper submissions are not accepted.

Michigan businesses that started operations after October 1, 2019, but no later than May 31, 2020, are eligible to apply for a Growing MI Business grant if:

  1. Your business satisfies all of the following:
    • Has a physical presence and conducts business operations in Michigan,
    • Falls within one of the nine eligible business categories,
    • Is not tax exempt under the internal revenue code of 1986, 26 USC 1 to 9834,
    • Is not a government entity, and
    • Is currently open for business.
  2. You must certify that your business was either fully or partial closed due to COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. Businesses that began operation after October 1, 2019, but before June 1, 2020, must certify that it was closed or partially closed due to an Executive Order or epidemic order issued by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
  3. You are able to provide information and associated documentation on "Financial Hardship." Businesses must be able to demonstrate "financial hardship" by providing information on the following fixed costs:
    • Total non-residential property tax paid for CY 2020 (if applicable)
    • Total lease costs paid for CY 2020 (if applicable)
    • MI unemployment insurance taxes paid for CY 2020 (if applicable)
    • The amount of on-premises retail liquor license fees (if applicable)
    • The amount of license required inspection fees paid under the Michigan Food Inspection law (if applicable)
    • The amount of all other business license or inspection fees (if applicable)

  4. You must submit a complete application. A business will have qualified for a grant if, and only if, the business has submitted a completed grant application, has provided supporting financial documentation, has demonstrated that it has met certain criteria as defined by Public Act 132 of 2021, has certified and attested, under penalty of perjury, to the completeness and accuracy of all information and documents provided in the application, and has agreed to a Beneficiary Agreement that contains the terms and condition for use of the Growing MI Business grant award. Applications will be accepted up until March 31 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Paper submissions are not accepted.

The Nine Eligible Business Categories

1. Entertainment Venues: These businesses infer the use of a facility for the purposes of spending time engaged as a spectator to a ticked event. Eligible businesses that fall within this category include:

  1. Auditorium
  2. Arena
  3. Banquet hall
  4. Cinema
  5. Concert hall
  6. Conference center
  7. Performance venue
  8. Sporting venue
  9. Stadium
  10. Theater

If a business does not fall directly within one of the subcategories listed above, yet identifies as an entertainment venue business, it may still apply under ‘Entertainment Venue: Other’. Businesses that select ‘Entertainment Venue: Other’ would need to provide a detailed business explanation and provide documentation of the following:

  • that it owns or leases a facility,
  • that it is (or has receipts from) an organization that charges for access to events with a stated duration, and
  • that if it has a source of income that exceeds the rental or the charge for access, this income could not be earned without the access charge.

2. Recreational Facilities and Public Places of Amusement: These businesses infer the use of a facility for purposes of spending time engaged in some identifiable leisure activity, not as a spectator to a ticketed event. Eligible businesses that fall within this category include:

  1. Amusement park
  2. Arcade
  3. Bingo hall
  4. Bowling alley
  5. Casino
  6. Nightclub
  7. Skating rink
  8. Water park
  9. Trampoline park

If a business does not fall directly within one of the subcategories listed above, yet identifies as a Place of Public Amusement, it may still apply under ‘Place of Public Amusement: Other’. Businesses that select ‘Place of Public Amusement: Other’ would need to provide a detailed business explanation and provide documentation of the following:

  • that it owns or leases a facility, and/or
  • that it is (or has receipts from) an organization that charges for access to the facility for purposes of recreation or public amusement, and
  • that if it has a source of income that exceeds the rental or the charge for access, this income could not be earned without the access charge, or the business may be something other than a recreation facility or place of public amusement and may qualify, if at all, on that other basis.

3. Barbers and Cosmetologists: Cosmetologists operating as a business, barbers operating as a business, cosmetology shops and barber shops business all fall within this eligible business category. Applicants who fall under “Cosmetologist or Barber” will be required to verify their license status.

  1. “Cosmetologist" means an individual who performs or offers to perform 1 or more cosmetology services. "Cosmetology services" includes hair care services, skin care services, manicuring services, and electrology.
  2. "Barber" means a person who shaves or trims the beard of a person; cuts, trims, shampoos, relaxes, curls, permanently waves, dresses, tints, bleaches, colors, arranges, or styles the hair of a person; massages the face and head of a person; or renders personal services of a similar nature customarily done by a barber.

4. Exercise Facilities: These businesses have a facility in which individuals participate in individual or group physical activity. Eligible businesses that fall within this category include:

  • Gymnasium
  • Fitness center
  • Exercise studio

If a business does not fall directly within one of the subcategories listed above, yet identifies as an exercise facility business, it may still apply under ‘Exercise Facility: Other’.

  • that it owns or leases a facility in which individuals participate in individual or group physical activity akin to a gymnasium, fitness center or exercise studio, and/or
  • that it charges individuals for access to the facility for the purpose of engaging in physical exercise.
  • if another income stream predominates, its flow/generation must be contingent on the access charge to the facility.

5. Food Establishments: These businesses all have a facility in which food or drink is prepared for direct consumption through service on the premises or elsewhere, and any other eating or drinking establishment or operation where food is served or provided for the public. Eligible businesses that fall within this category include:

  • Fixed or mobile restaurant
  • Coffee shop
  • Cafeteria
  • Short order café
  • Luncheonette
  • Grill
  • Tearoom
  • Sandwich shop
  • Soda fountain
  • Tavern
  • Bar
  • Cocktail lounge
  • Nightclub
  • Drive-in
  • Industrial feeding establishment
  • Private organization serving the public
  • Rental hall
  • Catering kitchen
  • Delicatessen
  • Theater
  • Commissary
  • Food concession

6. Nursery Dealers and Growers: Nursery Dealers and nursery growers (both businesses) fall within this eligible business category. Applicants who fall under “Nursery Dealer or Nursery Grower” will be required to verify their license status.

  • "Nursery" means any grounds or premises on or in which nursery stock is propagated, grown, or cultivated for the purpose of distributing or selling nursery stock as a business.
  • "Nursery grower" means a person owning, leasing, managing, or in charge of a nursery.
  • "Nursery dealer" means a person that is not a grower or an original producer of nursery stock in this state, that buys nursery stock for the purpose of reselling or reshipping independently of the control of any nursery grower or nursery dealer, or that is engaged with a nursery grower or nursery dealer in handling nursery stock on a consignment basis.

7. Athletic Trainers: Athletic trainers operating as a business fall within this eligible business category. Applicants who fall under “Athletic Trainer” will be required to verify their license status.

  • "Athletic trainer" means an individual engaged in the practice of athletic training.
  • "Practice of athletic training" means the treatment of an individual for risk management and injury prevention, the clinical evaluation and assessment of an individual for an injury or illness, or both, the immediate care and treatment of an individual for an injury or illness, or both, and the rehabilitation and reconditioning of an individual's injury or illness, if those activities are within the rules promulgated under section 17904 and performed under the direction of, on the prescription of, or in collaboration with an individual licensed under part 170 or 175.

The practice of athletic training does not include the practice of physical therapy, the practice of medicine, the practice of osteopathic medicine and surgery, the practice of chiropractic, or medical diagnosis or treatment.

8. Body Art Facilities: Body art facilities fall within this eligible business category. Applicants who fall under “Body Art Facility” will be required to verify their license status. Body art facility" means the location at which an individual does 1 or more of the following:

  • Performs tattooing
  • Performs branding
  • Performs body piercing

9. Hotels and Bed & Breakfast Establishments: Hotels and bed & breakfasts fall within this eligible business category.

  • “Hotel” means a building or structure kept, used, maintained as, or held out to the public to be an inn, hotel or public lodging house
  • “Bed & Breakfast" means a single-family residential structure that meets all of the following criteria:
    • Has 10 or fewer sleeping rooms, including sleeping rooms occupied by the innkeeper, 1 or more of which are available for rent to transient tenants.
    • Serves meals at no extra cost to its transient tenants.
    • Has a smoke detector in proper working order in each sleeping room and a fire extinguisher in proper working order on each floor.

Landlord/tenant relationships are not within the scope of this program’s relief.