Sullivan

Twenty-one small businesses have been selected to receive a total of $180,000 in working capital-grant funding through the Arlington Covid-19 Business Resiliency Program.

All businesses receiving funding must have a brick-and-mortar location in Arlington and 20 or fewer employees, the town announced in a Feb. 9 news release. As part of the grant requirements, businesses are required to create or retain at least one job held by a person who earns a low-to-moderate income.

The program supports businesses affected by the economic instability caused by the pandemic and is funded through an additional allocation of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds made possible by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Applicants applied through a competitive process and were notified of their awards during the first week of February. 

The Arlington Covid-19 Business Resiliency Program is a two-track grant program providing working capital grants and technical assistance, both of which will help business owners mitigate the negative impacts experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic. The technical assistance track will match businesses with consultants Revby LLC and Strategic Marketing Consulting LLC on topics -- including accounting and bookkeeping, commerce, marketing and search-engine optimization -- to deliver one-on-one training to seven businesses and group workshops to all grant recipients. 

“The town is grateful to have HUD CDBG program resources to be able to support Arlington’s small-business community," said Jennifer Raitt, director of planning, in the release. "Arlington’s Covid-19 Business Resiliency Program is helping local restaurants and landmark institutions in need of support as they continue to confront the impact of the pandemic. Additional technical assistance will help businesses become even more resilient as they persist through and beyond this challenging time.” 

The Covid-19 Business Resiliency Program builds on the successful small-business program launched in summer 2020 with the first allocation of CDBG funds from the CARES Act. 

25 small businesses, all with five or fewer employees, including the business owner who earns a low-to-moderate income, received $10,000 working capital grants to help sustain operations. The success of both programs benefited from volunteers who assisted with outreach efforts in Arlington’s business districts.

For additional information about the program, contact Mallory Sullivan, CDBG administrator,  at 781-316-3094 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  

This news announcement was published Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021.