UCD Small Business Emergency Fund

On April 20^th, 2020, we at University City District alerted 135 local small businesses that they'd been selected to receive grants through our Small Business Emergency Fund. The fund was made possible thanks to a generous donation of $250,000 from the University of Pennsylvania, which wanted to provide support to small businesses during this unprecedented time. The funds will begin being dispersed immediately.  

The grants awarded ranged from $500 - $5,000. Funding decisions were made based on a rubric that accounted for size of business, number of employees, years open, and other factors, including whether the owners also lived in the neighborhood. To have been eligible for funding, businesses needed to be located within University City District’s program area; be a brick and mortar, for-profit retail location, which includes restaurants and goods and services retailers; be independent operators with five or fewer locations; and to have been in operation on or before January 1st, 2020.

Included in the list of 135 small businesses that received grants were restaurants, barbershops, salons, fitness studios, florists, dry cleaners, and more, plus 13 micro businesses who operate out of a shared space at the Dorrance H. Hamilton Center for Culinary Enterprises.

Small businesses are crucial to the fabric of our neighborhood. We know the needs of small businesses are greater than a one-time payment, but we hope this grant money will provide some financial relief.