Displaying items by tag: Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce
City groups planning fall “mashup” of events in place of ArtPrize
GRAND RAPIDS — Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. is reallocating $50,000 it initially budgeted for ArtPrize 2020 toward a new event tentatively planned for September.
GR Chamber receives 865 applications for small business relief fund
GRAND RAPIDS — The Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce expects to receive up to 1,000 applications by the end of the week from across Kent County from small businesses seeking assistance from a $25 million grant fund set up to ease the economic crush of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kent County small biz relief fund opens second round
A Kent County small business relief program opened its second round of funding today, making grants available to companies that have already received COVID-19 assistance.
Kent County administrator addresses controversy over COVID small biz relief funding
Kent County’s top official says it is “critically important” that a $25 million business relief program launched this week is accessible to minority-owned businesses, following recent criticism that the program isn’t properly compensating minority business and social equity groups for their assistance.
Black, Hispanic biz groups criticize Kent County’s process to allocate COVID relief funding
GRAND RAPIDS — Two organizations representing minority-owned businesses issued a public statement Wednesday condemning a Kent County program that’s distributing $25 million in federal CARES Act funding for small business relief.
After 2020 cancellation, future of ArtPrize remains unclear
After canceling this year’s ArtPrize because of concerns over COVID-19, organizers of Grand Rapids’ flagship arts event and the largest art competition in the world have avoided questions about whether it will return.
‘A LITTLE LIGHT:’ Landmark LGBTQ ruling sets stage for statewide civil rights action, debate over religious exemptions
A landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling on June 15 bars workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and also highlights additional work that needs to be done in Michigan.
Kildee, Upton push $50.5B federal aid package for small businesses
Two Michigan congressmen behind legislation that would create a $50.5 billion relief fund for small businesses nationwide hope to get it included in the next federal aid package that may come before Congress this summer.
Kent County commits $25M to small business recovery assistance grants
Forming a relief fund to aid small businesses hurting from the COVID-19 pandemic was an early idea Kent County commissioners pursued when they began considering two months ago what to do with $114.6 million in federal aid funding.
Groups say their assistance with Kent County relief fund merits compensation
GRAND RAPIDS — In partnering on a $25 million small business relief fund, Kent County and the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce want to tap a number of community and entrepreneurial support organizations to get the word out to companies and provide volunteers to vet grant applicants.