Comcast to award $1M for local businesses

Kelly Busche//September 15, 2021//

The Lion’s Gym and Wellness Center in Robbinsdale previously received funding from the Comcast RISE Investment, which is supporting a new round of funding totaling $1 million for Twin Cities small businesses. (Submitted photo: Comcast)

Kelly Busche//September 15, 2021//

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Comcast announced this week it will award $1 million in grants to 100 small, Twin Cities businesses owned by people of color.

Along with grants, the company plans to provide technology and marketing resources to the businesses. The Twin Cities is among six cities, including Houston, Miami, Oakland, Seattle and Washington, D.C., selected for the program, according to a Comcast news release.

In all, $6 million will be granted to 600 businesses thanks to funding from the Comcast RISE Investment fund. Comcast launched the fund in 2020 to help small businesses owned by people of color by providing resources and tools that aid in business operations, the release said.

The RISE fund directs funding to businesses with one to 25 employees, which have also been in business for more than three years. Businesses must be located in the seven-county metro area to be eligible for the Twin Cities program, the release said.

“Minnesota knows that this pandemic has created challenges for many small businesses, especially [minority-owned] businesses. We continue to do everything we can to help them until things get better. I highly encourage small businesses owned by people of color to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity provided by our friends at Comcast,” Gov. Tim Walz said in the release.

Eligible businesses can apply for monetary grants and/or marketing and technology services at comcastRISE.com. The applications are open Oct. 1-14, and the company will notify winners in late November, the release said.