First grant for Downtown startups nearing deadline

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) -- Ever think of starting a business in downtown St. Joseph or moving a business to the historic part of the city? This may be your opportunity.

The St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce is offering a grant through the U.S. Bank Foundation that would help a business get going downtown, possibly before the holidays, according to its post. The grant winner would also have a chance at reduced rent at The Madison in downtown St. Joseph.

This is the first of these opportunities for a $3,000 grant offered by the chamber, The Launch Pad, and U.S. Bank. The Chamber will establish a review committee to evaluate applications and select grant recipients.

"They'll have to take some classes, which are just some basic business classes, finance, marketing, things like that, things that are going to guarantee that you are going to be successful and have the help you need to make sure you're a success for downtown," said one of the individuals involved with the process, Jamie Donaldson of Fox Creek Designs, The Madison and Juniper Lane. "Then you get that $3,000 just to help you get started, which I know when we started, if somebody said, 'Hey, there's a $3,000 grant,' it would have been huge."

This money comes from a grant awarded to the Launch Pad and the Chamber for $25,000 on October 15. The first deadline for the $3,000 grant is this Friday, October 30.

Grantees through this process will also have access to reduced retail space rent at The Madison downtown.

To apply for this grant, click here.