Downtown Hendersonville Pivot Fund & Grant Program

NEW - October 2021!

Downtown Hendersonville Pivot Grants 2.0 Application:

 The Friends of Downtown Hendersonville are pleased to release an updated Pivot Grant application for businesses in the Main Street and 7th Avenue Districts in Historic Downtown Hendersonville thanks to a $25,000 grant from the Duke Energy Foundation!

Please review the application packet in its entirety before submitting your proposal.

Important Dates:

  1. Grant Deadline November 15
  2. Grant Interviews/presentations – November 30 at 4pm (in person or via zoom)
  3. Committee reviews and makes final decision December 7 4pm at their regularly scheduled Economic Vitality Committee Meeting.
  4. Decisions from the committee must be made prior to December 30, 2021.
  5. Announcements from the Friends of Downtown must be made prior to January 15.

Description of Grants: Downtown Hendersonville Pivot Grants is a microgrant program to allow businesses creativity when testing reopening strategies to minimize risk. This program will provide up to $2500 in funding for businesses within the Main Street and 7th Avenue districts to try something new or adapt their business in the changing economic climate and in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. In September, 2021 the Friends of Downtown were awarded a $25,000 grant from the Duke Energy Foundation to provide additional pivot fund grants to downtown businesses.

Small business support awards are intended to help small businesses recover or “pivot” because of the COVID-19 pandemic. A pivot may include adding enhanced service or commerce opportunities for the business to adjust to the effects of the crises, such as modifying physical space, improving an e-commerce site for online sales, or expanding capacity for delivering goods and services. Some expenditures may include furniture for expanded outdoor dining, materials for construction of takeout windows, accessibility compliance for additional outdoor seating, additional fixtures required for compliance with public health issues, and building of e-commerce platforms, as well as other equipment or tools needed for creative adaptation and pivoting of businesses

Projects can fund, but are not limited to: 

  • Purchase of supplies or new inventory related to grant project 
  • Purchase or rental of outdoor seating or other equipment that is compliant with sidewalk dining ordinance
  • Website updates or added social media marketing advertising or fees 
  • The small business support awards may be used to reimburse small businesses for expenses already incurred that fit within the grant guidelines.
  • Enhancement of outdoor environment

Project examples: 

  • Purchasing additional outdoor seating for restaurants to expand outdoor dining 
  • Online / E-commerce updates to adapt business needs
  • Purchasing supplies for outdoor expansion or downtown events
  • Marketing campaign for business “pivot” initiatives (curbside, delivery, website updates, online ordering, etc)
  • Purchasing outdoor dining seat that is in compliance with the sidewalk dining ordinance
  • Purchasing outdoor heaters for winter dining
  • Etc…

Selection Requirements: 

The following measures will guide the selection of grants: 

  1. Potential for long term viability 
  2. Enhancement of the outdoor/downtown environment 
  3. Creativity and innovation in response to Covid-19 adaptations
  4. Participation and expansion of sales during outdoor events on Main Street (when allowed)
  5. Grants are only for businesses that are in the Main Street or 7th Avenue Municipal Service District (see map)

The Friends of Downtown Economic Vitality Committee will serve as the grant committee and will review applications at a special meeting on November 30 at 4pm. Applicants will be given additional consideration if they attend the meeting and present briefly in person or via zoom to answer questions on their project. The selection committee reserves the right to offer a partial grant based on the selection criteria.  

 

Important Date:

  1. Grant Deadline November 15
  2. Grant Interviews/presentations – November 30 at 4pm (in person or via zoom)
  3. Committee reviews and makes final decision December 7 4pm at their regularly scheduled Economic Vitality Committee Meeting.
  4. Decisions from the committee must be made prior to December 30, 2021.
  5. Announcements from the Friends of Downtown must be made prior to January 15.

Reimbursement and Reporting:

Grants are reimbursable and funding will be reimbursed upon receipt of grant report with expenses reported. The grant report is included at the end of the application.

 DOWNLOAD APPLICATION HERE!   -  due november 15

Questions? Contact Jamie Carpenter, Downtown Manager at jcarpenter@Hvlnc.gov or 828-233-9144.

 


How to Support:

Purchase a #LoveHendo Mask - $10 cloth masks with the LoveHendo logo are available for purchase at at Wag! A Unique Pet Boutique, Mast General Store (Hendersonville), The Henderson Inn, Mike's on Main, and Black Bear Coffee.

Make a donation! 

Contact Us for Sponsorship Inquiries

Donations can be made via check to:

Friends of Downtown Hendersonville

125 5th Avenue W

Hendersonville, NC 28792

 

Pivot Fund Sponsors:

Friend of Downtown Hendersonville Logo  

 

B2 realtor logo