Learn More about DEED Programs to Help Businesses and Minnesotans

The jobs bill passed during the past legislative session is the largest jobs bill in Minnesota's history. Over $275M will be available through a host of economic development programs that will help Minnesota recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

DEED is continuing to work hard to make sure businesses and communities across the state have access to this funding and are aware of our economic development programs and services. At the same time, we're helping ensure individual Minnesotans get the training and resources they need to secure good jobs through our workforce development programs.

Below you will find information on the programs that are currently available. Here’s a closer look at the programs that are currently underway:

• Main Street Economic Revitalization Program: This is an $80 million statewide economic redevelopment program that will award grants to partner organizations so they can provide grants and guaranteed loans for economic development and redevelopment projects. Applications for the first round are closed, the second round of this program will open in early 2022.

o Status: The first round of grants will award up to $39,850,000 to organizations across Minnesota. The second round with up to $40 million in funding, will be made available in February of 2022.

o The following organization have been selected to be partnership organizations through the first round of Main Street Economic Revitalization awards. These organizations will implement Main Street Revitalization efforts in their regions.

 African Career, Education & Resource (ACER), INC, Brooklyn Center, $312,000

 Destination Medical Center Economic Development Agency, Rochester, $3,120,000

 Duluth Local Initiatives Support Corporation Inc., Duluth, $1,235,100

 Heartland Lakes Development Commission, Park Rapids, $208,000

 The Minneapolis Foundation, Minneapolis, $20,800,000

 Saint Paul and Minnesota Foundation, Saint Paul, $8,960,000

 Southwest Initiative Foundation, Hutchinson, $2,232,400

 Virginia Community Foundation, Virginia, $1,794,100

• Main Street COVID-19 Relief Grant Program: This is a $70 million program to help small businesses negatively impacted by COVD-19. A significant portion of this $70 million will be dedicated to helping Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) owned small businesses, veteran and women-owned small businesses and small businesses with six or fewer fulltime workers.

o Status: We have conducted a lottery for the $64.2 million in grants available for Minnesota businesses who suffered during the pandemic. Potential grantees were randomly selected from applications for the Main Street COVID-19 Relief Grants through a process established in consultation with the Minnesota Lottery, which was also used for the past round of the Small Business Relief Grants. Our Team has notified applicants for the Main Street COVID Relief Grant program whether or not their application has been randomly selected for consideration. Businesses will now work with our non-profit network for verification and disbursement of funding.

o Businesses not selected through the random selection process have been placed on a waiting list. As this process moves forward, spots for applications may become available. If your business is impacted by such a change, one of our non-profit partners will follow up with you by email.

To give you a sense of what is coming, we’ve developed the timeline below with upcoming deadlines.

• Minnesota Cultural Mall Operator Program: This program will make grants up to $300,000 to Minnesota-based operators (not tenants) of privately owned, permanent indoor retail space and food markets that have an ethnic cultural emphasis. A total of $3 million is available for grant awards.

o Status: Applications will be accepted until November 5, 2021. Learn more.

• Getting to Work Competitive Grant Program: This program will make grants up to $150,000 over two years to qualified 501c3 nonprofit organizations to establish and operate programs that provide, repair, or maintain motor vehicles to assist eligible individuals in obtaining or maintaining employment.

o Status: Requests for proposals will be accepted until November 10, 2021. Learn more.

• Internationally Trained Professionals Competitive Grant Program: This program will make grants up to $400,000 over two years to qualified organizations to provide services to assist internationally trained professionals in earning the professional licenses required to do similar work in Minnesota. Eligible organizations are state or local government units including two or four-year post-secondary institutions, nonprofit/community-based organizations, community action agencies, or labor organizations physically located in Minnesota and with experience serving immigrant and refugee populations.

o Status: Request for proposals will be accepted until November 10, 2021. Learn more.

• Targeted Community Capital Project Grant Program: This is a new $24 million capital grant program (with a carveout of $6 million for a specific project) that provides grants for capital projects to nonprofit organizations and government entities that provide, increase, or expand services to underserved communities or economically disadvantaged persons or groups.

o Status: Requests for proposals will be accepted until December 6, 2021. Learn more.

Economic expansion is underway in across the state, and we are working hard to ensure communities, businesses and Minnesotans have the support and tools they need to come out on the other side of this pandemic stronger and better than ever. DEED will continue to provide updates on our economic development programs and services in the coming months.