The Wu administration has started round 2 of the SPACE grant program, to provide grants to small businesses willing to move into vacant storefronts in downtown Boston or in outlying neighborhoods and help with the city’s post-pandemic recovery. Mayor Michelle Wu’s Office of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion started this week to accept applications for the second round, in which 20 entrepreneurs will be picked to get up to $200,000 over a three-year period.
The submission deadline for applications is 11:59 p.m. on November 10 during normal business hours. Last year, Wu set aside $9 million of the city’s share of federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to launch SPACE (which stands for Supporting Pandemic Affected Community Enterprises). In July, after receiving applications from more than 350 businesses, city officials announced 24 winners in the first round who together will receive $2.8 million over three years as well as technical assistance from City Hall. City officials said they will focus on businesses looking to locate downtown in this round, but any neighborhood will be eligible to receive funds
