Grant Applications Now Open to Boost Main Street Iowa Businesses

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Small businesses located within Avoca Main Street and other designated Main Street Iowa districts are invited to compete for up to $25,000.

Main Street Iowa’s annual Open 4 Business program supports existing businesses and revitalization in the more than 50 Main Street Iowa communities. For the contest, entrepreneurs will outline a business development or expansion idea, such as additional services and product offerings or needed equipment.

Eligible businesses are for-profit and have been operating at least one year in a Main Street district. In addition to the online application, applicants also must submit a short video highlighting their business project and how it will benefit their community’s economic climate. A 25% cash match is required.

Only one application is allowed per Main Street community. To determine which local business will represent Avoca, turn in a video submission to [email protected] by April 7, 2025.

State competition applications must be submitted through the local program to Main Street Iowa by May 1. Main Street Iowa staff will review them for project impact within the designated Main Street district; business innovation; and opportunity for continued growth, enhanced revenue and sustainability. Five finalists will advance to the state competition on Aug. 4 in Muscatine, where they will pitch their expansion ideas before a panel of judges.

Open 4 Business launched in 2015 and over the past decade has awarded dollars to over 50 businesses across the state. Grants are administered through the Iowa Economic Development Authority’s (IEDA) Iowa Downtown Resource Center and Main Street Iowa programs.

For complete details, contact Amber Mohr at [email protected] or Brooke Prouty at [email protected].

About Main Street Iowa

A program of the Iowa Economic Development Authority, Main Street Iowa is dedicated to the revitalization and preservation of Iowa’s historic commercial districts. One of more than 800 nationally accredited programs in the Main Street America^® network, it is often held up as an example of how to successfully leverage the Main Street Approach™ to revitalize downtowns and inspire economic growth. Since its inception in 1985, Main Street Iowa has generated nearly $2.9 billion in private investment, more than 5,600 new and expanded businesses and more than 17,000 jobs. For more information, visit iowaeda.gov.

Originally posted by Avoca Main Street, Inc. via Locable