SMALL BUSINESS EMERGENCY GRANTS
(90) $1000 Grants Available Only for Businesses in:
• Hmong Town Marketplace
• Hmong Village
• Century Plaza
Application Opens: October 8, 2020
Application Closes: October 19, 2020 at 5 pm
Qualifications
Each grant is limited to one grant per individual and business tax ID. Business owners can only apply once for a single business. For business owners with multiple businesses, please complete this application based on the largest business you own. Awards will be made to qualified businesses with eligibility based on the following:
1) Business owners must have year-round lease agreements within either Hmong Town Market, Hmong Village or Century Plaza. Seasonal vendors in the shopping centers and small businesses located outside of these shopping centers are ineligible.
2) Your business is ineligible if you have received the Small Business Emergency Loan (SBEL) or the Small Business Relief Grant (SBRG) through the MN Department of Economic and Employment Development administered through HAP or any other organization.
3) Your business must be for-profit.
4) Business owner(s) must be at least 18 years old.
Apply online at: https://bit.ly/36EMXOk
HAP Small Business Emergency Grant FAQs
| QUESTION | ANSWER |
| Eligibility | |
| Do I need to provide a social security number to receive the grant? | No, you will not need to provide your social security number to qualify for the grant. |
| Do I have to be of Southeast Asian decent to receive the grant? | No, descent is not a condition of eligibility. |
| I do not sell merchandise, products, or food but I have an office in the shopping center. Do I qualify? | Yes. As long as you are listed on the lease agreement to occupy the space year-round, you are eligible. |
| Must I be located in Hmong Town Market, Hmong Village, or Century Plaza to qualify? | Yes; you must have a year-round lease inside either Hmong Village, Hmong Town Market, or Century Plaza to be eligible. |
| I sell seasonally so I am present 6 months or less out of the year. Do I qualify? | Seasonal vendors are ineligible as their occupancy does not extend through the entire year. |
| I am a mobile vendor and sell regularly, but do not have a permanent location or contract with the shopping center. Do I qualify? | No. You must have a lease agreement with the either Hmong Village, Hmong Town Market, or Century Plaza to be eligible. |
| Do I still qualify if I received the Ramsey County or Saint Paul Small Business grants? | Yes. Receipt of these two grants does not disqualify you. |
| Do I qualify if I am an independent contractor working for businesses within the shopping center? | No. The exception is if you are listed as the tenant on the lease agreement with the shopping center. |
| I have not done my 2019 taxes. Do I qualify? | Yes. Filing taxes is not a condition of eligibility. |
| I sublease my business space to another business. Do I qualify? | No. You are not the operating business occupying the space and are therefore ineligible. |
| I sublease my business space from another person. Do I qualify? | If you are listed as the sub-leased tenant on the lease agreement, you are eligible. |
| I do not have an active business registration with the Minnesota Secretary of State. Do I qualify? | Yes; business registration is not a condition of eligibility. |
| Application | |
| When does the application open? | October 8th, 2020 |
| When does the application close? | October 15th, 2020 |
| Can someone else complete my application for me? | Yes. You may have a third party complete the application on your behalf. |
| I own multiple businesses. Can I submit an application for each business I own? | No. You may submit only one application. Complete an application for the business with the highest earnings. |
| I missed the due date to submit my application. Can I submit a late application? | No. Late applications will not be considered. |
| How will HAP use the information I provide on the survey? | HAP will use findings from the survey to better understand the needs of our community and to prioritize advocacy for those needs. |
| What if I don’t have an email? | Please contact HAP at 651-235-9461 or email Chonburi Lee at chonburil@hmong.org to make alternative arrangements. |
| I made a mistake on my application. Can I fix it? | No. We strongly encourage you to review your application before submitting it because changes cannot be made once the application is submitted. |
| Can I save my application to complete at a later time? | No. The application does not have a save option. |
| How long will it take to complete the application? | Completion times vary however, we recommend setting aside at least 30 minutes. |
| I don’t have access to a computer to complete my application. What should I do? | Please contact HAP at 651-235-9461 or email Chonburi Lee at chonburil@hmong.org to make alternative arrangements. |
| Kuv tsis paub nyeem ntawv miskas. Yuav ua li cas? | Thov hu rau Chonburi ntawm 651-235-9461. |
| Post-Application | |
| How are finalists selected? | Finalists are randomly drawn from the pool of applicants. |
| If I am a finalist, what documents will I need to provide? | Finalists will not need to provide any additional proofs. HAP will verify tenancy with the shopping mall. However, finalists will need to sign a grant agreement and a direct deposit form for funds to be released. |
| Do I have to report my spending to Hmong American Partnership? | No. Grant recipients may use the award at their own discretion. |
| How long will it take to receive my award? | Grant funds are disbursed 7-10 business days after receiving the signed grant agreement and direct deposit form. |
| How much am I eligible for? | Each eligible recipient will receive $1,000. |
| Is direct deposit the only way to receive my award? | Yes. |
| Additional Information | |
| Who can I contact for help? | Please contact HAP at 651-235-9461 or email Chonburi Lee at chonburil@hmong.org with questions. |