Highland Business Incentive Grant Applications Available

Applications are now available for Incentive Grants through the Highland Economic Development Authority.  The grants are offered to assist small businesses in the county.

Betty Mitchell is the Economic Development Officer of the Highland EDA.

“This gives either start up businesses or businesses that are existing, and looking to expand, an opportunity to apply for grants in a range of $2,000 to $5,000,” says Mitchell.  “And it allows them to either have start up or expansion expenses paid for with that grant, including supplies, equipment, inventory.  If they need to have renovations or minor repairs made to a commercial location that’s new, that can be included, as well as some advertising and marketing expenses.”

The Highland EDA made a major change this year in grant eligibility.

“In the past, we’ve never allowed past grant recipients to apply, but if you had a grant through the Highland EDA Incentive Grant Program prior to fiscal year 2019, you would be eligible to reapply this year,” says Mitchell.

A digital copy of the Incentive Grant application is available by emailing highlandeda@htcnet.org.  The application will also be available on the Highland County Chamber of Commerce website.  More information and any updates about the grants can be found on the Highland EDA’s Facebook page at Highland Economic Development.

“We’re just delighted to be able to offer this again and appreciate the Board of Supervisors supporting this important community initiative,” says Mitchell.  “We feel like the small businesses in Highland have really benefitted from it over the past five years and look forward to seeing what great applications we have in this coming round.”

The Incentive Grant application due date is Monday, December 6 at 4:30pm.   Applications can be hand delivered to the Courthouse or mailed to the Highland EDA.

The EDA is planning to make award decisions at it’s meeting on Monday, January 17, 2022 with award letters going out by February 1.

Story By

Bonnie Ralston

Bonnie Ralston is the Assistant Station Coordinator at WVLS and a Highland County news reporter. She began volunteering at Allegheny Mountain Radio in the fall of 2005. In 2006 she became an AMR employee and worked in Bath County for eight years as the WCHG Station Coordinator and then as the news reporter there. She began working in radio while in college and has stayed connected to radio, in one way or another, for more than thirty years. She grew up in Staunton, Virginia, while spending a lot of time on her family’s farm in Deerfield, Virginia. She enjoys spending time outside, watching old TV shows and movies and tending to her chickens.

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