LISC WNY & GM Scale Up WNY Small Business Grant Application

This application form captures preliminary information for a business seeking a LISC-GM Small Business Grant. Before proceeding, we recommend that respondents read the online FAQ for more information about this grant opportunity.

Grant applications close on April 20, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. EST.
Terms and Conditions
With funding support from General Motors, the 'Scale Up WNY' Grant will assist the growth of Black-owned businesses that are under-capitalized, but well positioned for growth. This fund is designated to support opportunities in several high-demand industries and/or services:

- Construction
- Energy Infrastructure & Climate Response
- Broadband, Digitization & Web Services
- Medical Suppliers & Telehealth Services
- Manufacturing
- Childcare Services & Providers
- DEI Consultants

Examples of initiatives supported by this grant include:

- Projects or initiatives that a) seed a growth initiative for your company, b) strengthen business retention, and/or c) allow for business expansion.
- Increase readiness for contract opportunities associated with the a) American Rescue Plan Act of 2021; b) New York State Climate Leadership & Community Protection Act; c) Buffalo Sewer Authority Rain Check 2.0; d) the New York State East Side Initiative; or 5) similar contract opportunities providing a pathway to grow your business.
- Support for broadband expansion, e-commerce, and growth through digitization.
- Funds to a) analyze the feasibility of purchasing an existing company, b) plan for business ownership succession planning, or c) co-operative employee ownership models. 
- Technical assistance aimed at growing the business and increasing access to high-growth industries.

Applicants may apply once for this round and for one business only. For business owners with multiple businesses, please complete this application based on your largest business owned. Each grant is limited to one grant per individual and business tax ID. Awards will be made to qualified businesses, and eligibility is based on accurate and complete submission.

Priority will be given to Black-owned businesses, followed by minority-, women-, and veteran-owned businesses, operating more than two years. All awardees will have to certify that they are promoting the best interests of the community. Nonprofit organizations are ineligible for this application.

If your business is selected as a finalist, you will be notified via email. Being selected as a finalist does not guarantee a grant will be awarded. As a finalist, additional documentation will be required, including SSN, TIN/ITIN and/or EIN for the applicant and/or the business in order for us to perform the due diligence required by the program’s funding source. This due diligence inquiry may include a background search that we will conduct at our expense. If the due diligence step is successfully completed, we will ask for W-9 and appropriate banking information so that we may transfer funds by ACH to your designated account.

Privacy: Information provided through the application process is the responsibility of each applicant. Applications submitted to the portal remain confidential to the general public and any fellow applicants. Applicants will not hold LISC, its affiliates, members, partners, and staff liable for any losses, damages, costs, or expenses, of any kind relating to the use or the adequacy, accuracy, or completeness of any information loaded in the form. For further information please see LISC’s privacy policy. Data entered on this secure form utilizes FormAssembly.  More info.

Conflict of Interest: Current directors, officers, employees, and contractors of LISC and such individuals' family members (spouse, parents, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and spouses of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren) are not eligible to apply or seek an award.

Publicity: If awarded, please be advised that the business/applicant’s application information, name, statements, and other information provided during the award process may be used for promotional purposes in all forms and media and the business/applicant may be contacted by LISC and/or the program sponsors for such purposes. Applicant grants to LISC and the program sponsors a perpetual license to use such information without additional compensation (except where prohibited by law), and without any right to review and/or approve such content. Until notified, applicants must agree not to share any status as a finalist publicly, including but not limited to all social media platforms, news media, or local publications.

Monitoring: LISC may monitor and conduct evaluation activity funded by the LISC Small Business Relief Grant. This might involve a review of quantitative or qualitative data needed to understand the impact of the fund.

Submission Guidance: It is recommended that before completing and submitting the online form, respondents save their answers in a separate backup document, as your work may not be saved if you leave the web page before submitting the application. You may also lose your work if your internet is disconnected, or as a result of other potential web browser issues. We cannot accept changes to your application once it has been submitted, so please review it carefully.
 
You will see a confirmation page after successful completion of this application.

Applicant Information

Please be ready to provide information for the lead business owner.
Business Information 
Please note: small business owners may apply for one business only. For business owners with multiple businesses, please complete this application based on the largest business owned. Each grant is limited to one grant per individual and business tax ID.
3. Lead Business Owner Information








6. Business Information








7. Alternative Business Information


Additional Business Information









Total Number of Workers & Worker Data 

The following questions ask about the number of workers at the business.
For this section, full-time workers are those who work 35 hours/week or more;
part-time workers are those who work less than 35 hours/week.











Primary Industry










Socioeconomic Data

The next portion of the survey requests socioeconomic data related to the lead business owner and it is optional. Please provide information based on how the lead business owner self-identifies.








Grant Information







Additional Information Needed for Verification
If selected as a finalist, the below information is required to screen and verify background information for due diligence.







Thank you for your interest in the LISC WNY & GM Scale Up Small Business Grant. We will be unable to process any grant application to your business without agreement to the terms and conditions. If you have questions or clarifications, please email us at WNYinfo@lisc.org.

Final Step: Please review the information below, e-sign and submit your application:

Thank you for completing your application. Please click 'Submit' below to complete your submission. 

If your business is selected as a finalist, you will be notified via email. Please check both your main inbox and spam folders. Being selected as a finalist does not guarantee a grant will be awarded. As a finalist, additional documentation will be required, including SSN, TIN/ITIN and/or EIN for the applicant and/or the business in order for us to perform the due diligence required by the program’s funding source. 

This due diligence inquiry may include a background search that we will conduct at our expense. If the due diligence step is successfully completed, we will ask for W-9 and appropriate banking information so that we may transfer funds by ACH to your designated account.

For general questions, please check the FAQ regularly. New questions raised about this grant will be updated regularly. For additional questions not answered by the FAQ, please email WNYinfo@lisc.org. We are monitoring this email regularly and updating our FAQ accordingly. 
 
For data security questions, please review LISC’s Privacy Policy.