On Dec. 18, the City of Cortez announced that they will apply for the Community Business Preservation Program administered by the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade on behalf of local businesses in the area.
If the city’s application is accepted, the program will provide training, consultation support and grants for each business involved in the application, the news release said.
According to city Community and Economic Development Specialist Helen West, the grants would range from $10,000 to $50,000 for expenses that include infrastructure and other building improvements, tech, energy efficiency, code upgrades, permitting and licensing fees and hired contract work.
The grant is highly competitive, and OEDIT will only choose five to seven communities statewide. Of those, only two to six businesses per community will be part of the selection.
“The entire state can apply for this grant. And they were only going to choose five to seven communities … It's really focused on preserving businesses that are facing destabilizing pressures, and the idea is to help these businesses along through this pretty large sum of money and then also training and consultation support,” West told The Journal.
The grant is a two-year grant program, and the funds must be spent by April 2026.
“Along with those two years, businesses have the opportunity for training and one one-on-one consultation and support from the state and from local agencies,” West said.
Businesses that are eligible to apply to be part of the city’s application to CPBB must be locally owned and operated, be located within city limits, be a retail “for-profit” business, have a current sales tax license for the city, be registered and in “good standing” with the Colorado Secretary of State and been an operational business on or before Sept. 22, 2021.
“It is any kind of local business, and because we at the city are crafting the community application, we really wanted to give our for-profit businesses the opportunity. For-profits don't get grant opportunities as often as nonprofits do. So, we are really trying to focus on our for-profit businesses,” West said.
If more than six businesses apply, West said they will have to form a panel to choose which businesses will be part of the city’s application.
Businesses that sell local goods, deal in outdoor recreation, tourism and creative industries, contribute to the community’s cultural, social or historical significance or face destabilizing pressures that threaten the cultural legacy of the community will be prioritized on the application, according to the news release.
The deadline to submit a business application to the city is Jan. 3. While it’s a fast turnaround, West said applications need to be in by that time to ensure the city can finish its application.
“The first three questions in the application are the most important,” West said. “So, businesses need to focus on those and get those in by January 3.”
Those who wish to learn more about the program can visit the website at www.cortezco.gov/883/Community-Business-Preservation-Program. The website also includes a video where West answers questions from businesses. To request an application or receive application help, businesses are asked to contact West at hwest@cortezco.gov.
