GROW Program (City of Frederick)

GROW Program (City of Frederick) is sponsored by City of Frederick Department of Economic Development. The GROW Program encourages and financially supports physical improvements by targeted businesses to commercial buildings within the City of Frederick.

Conditional Grants | Frederick Business, MD Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more. Grant applications must be submitted for approval prior to commencement of work. Facade Improvement Grants The GROW Program is intended to encourage and financially-support physical improvements by targeted businesses to commercial buildings within The City of Frederick.

The competitive program provides a limited quantity of small conditional matching grants subject to fund availability.

Eligibility Requirements:* Eligible applicants include the following: Small businesses with less than 25 Full Time Equivalent Employees (FTE) --- including, but not limited to, minority/woman owned businesses and graduates of a business incubator or accelerator program Businesses conducting catalytic building rehabilitation for neighborhood stabilization/revitalization Businesses which have experienced disaster and are in the process of disaster recovery and prevention (fire, flood, etc.) Other business categories as determined by the Director of Economic Development with concurrence of the Mayor The program supports critical building improvements that will convey with the property and improve the functionality of the property for both current and future business tenants/owners.

Eligible expenses include, but are not limited to: Water and Sewer Impact / Tap Fees ADA compliance & accessibility upgrades Environmental Remediation Work Other Building Functionality or Life-Safety related improvements Cosmetic projects – such as signage, flooring, carpeting, painting, decorative lighting, custom cabinetry, etc – are NOT eligible under this program.

*Criteria may be modified at discretion of Department Director Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, subject to funding availability. Applicants must schedule a formal meeting with the Department of Economic Development staff to discuss the project prior to submitting the application. If the business owner does not own the property, the property owners’ consent is required.

Expenses incurred prior to application approval will not be eligible for reimbursement.

Pursuant to your application and agreement and receiving funding under the Program, you are required to report certain data annually to the City for 5 years, to include: Number of full-time and part-time employees you currently employ Number of your employees that are City residents Number of your employees that are County residents Square footage of current location Amount of capital investment expended in the most recent fiscal year Net income for most recent fiscal year Annual revenues for most recent fiscal year All projects that meet basic eligibility requirements will then be scored on the criteria listed below.

Awards will be given on a first come, first-served basis. Awards will be made at the sole discretion of the review committee Additional funds may become available through the year as part of this program.

Proposed growth of business within The City of Frederick -- 5 points Extent to which the project will contribute to: business retention, employee retention, net new employees, expansion of SF, increase in capacity, and/or new product/service opportunities Physical Improvement to Property – 5 points Extent to which the project will contribute to the basic infrastructure, functionality, and improved tenant-ability of property moving forward Community Impact – 5 points Extent to which the project will influence the surrounding neighborhood in a positive and catalytic manner Extent to which the eligible project costs exceed the required 50/50 match of the minimum $5000 grant Demonstrated financial need/gap – 5 points Extent to which grant award would address a financial gap or relieve the burden of regulation-imposed costs Additional 2 points awarded for businesses within any of the following categories: FITCI graduate, or biotechnology, technology, or manufacturing industry Grant amounts (ranging from $5,000 to $10,000) will be awarded on a sliding scale based on points received by the application.

Applicants which score 13 points or lower will be ineligible for award. The grant does not have to be repaid. This funding CAN be combined with other funding sources such as Façade Improvement Programs, tax credit programs, and state grant or loan programs.

The GROW grants are paid as reimbursement for physical improvements once completed and invoices paid. For larger projects, the grant can be paid once the matching requirement is met. Full Program Details (PDF) Facade Improvement Grants For facade improvement projects to businesses located in one of three program areas: Downtown Frederick , Golden Mile , East Frederick .

One-to-one match on qualified exterior facade improvements up to $10,000 (up to $23,500 in Golden Mile area). Contact the administering organization directly for specific application procedure Downtown Frederick Partnership The program, administered through the Downtown Frederick Partnership , addresses high costs of installing sprinklers in Downtown buildings that are over 50 years old.

Provides a matching grant of up to $25,000 Contact Downtown Frederick Partnership at 301-698-8118 for application procedure details The competitive program, administered through the Downtown Frederick Partnership , offers a matching grant to selected interior capital improvement projects to businesses located in Downtown Frederick.

One-to-one match on qualified interior improvements up to $5,000 The application deadline normally falls in late Winter/early Spring, contact Downtown Frederick Partnership at 301-698-8118 for application procedure details.