St. Louis City - Small Business Grant Fund

The City of St. Louis Small Business Grant Fund is established to assist small businesses that have been severely impacted by COVID-19 and Stay at Home Orders. All grants are subject to the approval of the CARES Act budget by the Board of Aldermen.

All businesses with a physical presence in the city are eligible subject to the program requirements described below. A minimum of 50 percent of awards will be reserved for businesses located within the Promise Zone, an Opportunity Zone, or a Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Area. See map of these areas.

Beginning at 9:00 AM on Wednesday, July 1, 2020, businesses that received assistance from the SBA's PPP or EIDL program WILL BE ELIGIBLE to apply for this grant. Please know that there may be a few minutes delay when this criteria is eliminated from our online application.

If you have any problems or questions, please email sldc-grants@stlouis-mo.gov.

Applications will be accepted until funds are fully obligated. Please know that funds may be depleted before we are able to consider your application. 

Program Requirements

Grant Amount: $5,000.00

Eligible Businesses:

• 25 or fewer employees as of March 19, 2020
• Must have a physical presence in the City of St. Louis
• Must have had a current business license as of March 19, 2020
• Must be current on all City taxes and have submitted all City-required reports as confirmed by the Collector of Revenue's office
• Must have closed or been significantly impacted as a result of COVID-19 and/or the City's "Stay Home - Essential Activities Only Order , Health Commissioner's Order No. 5"
• Must not have received federal COVID-19 funding through the Small Business Administration including the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL). NOTE: This exclusion will be eliminated as of 9:00 AM on Wednesday, July 1, 2020
• Elected and appointed officials of the City of St. Louis, the St. Louis Development Corporation, and The St. Louis Local Development Company and their immediate family members are not eligible
• Does not discriminate per City of St. Louis ordinances

The following Businesses are not Eligible:

• Nonprofit Organizations
• Banks & Financial Institutions
• Law Firms & Attorneys
• Physicians, Dentists, Surgeons, Optometrists, Chiropractors, & Veterinarians
• Insurance Brokers & Agents
• Real Estate Brokers & Sales Agents
• Architects, Engineers, & Land Surveyors
• Nursing Homes

Applicants may be required to provide additional documentation of their employee count by uploading a copy of one of the following:

• 2019 Federal IRS W-3 Form - Transmittal of Wage and Tax Statements
• Form 941 for 2020: Employer's Quarterly Federal Tax Return, Quarter ending 3/31/2020
• Collector of Revenue Form W-10 Quarterly Earnings Tax Return, Quarter ending 12/31/2019 or 3/31/2020