​SMALL BUSINESS RECOVERY GRANT PROGRAM ANNOUNCES $1.7 MILLION IN AWARDS TO 292 COMPANIES

Polk County, Warren County and the cities of Carlisle, Clive, Des Moines, Indianola, Johnston, Norwalk, Urbandale, West Des Moines and Windsor Heights have announced the final list of recipients of the Small Business Recovery Grant program to help businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 292 recipients received a total of $1.7 million through the program. The list of all businesses awarded is viewable to the public on the Greater Des Moines Partnership’s website. This program was led by the Greater Des Moines Partnership in addition to the participating cities and counties in the Greater Des Moines (DSM) region.
The Small Business Recovery Grant awardees are all sole-proprietors or businesses with 0 – 30 employees that have had restrictions placed on their operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Grant awards ranged from $1,000 – $5,000, with up to $10,000 for businesses in the City of Des Moines.
“The Small Business Recovery Grant program is another example of our public and private sectors coming together to invest in the future of our region,” said Jay Byers, CEO of the Greater Des Moines Partnership. “We must continue to support our small businesses as a key strategy of regional economic recovery moving forward.”
The grant program was funded through contributions from the City of Des Moines, Polk County, Principal Foundation, EMC Insurance Companies, American Equity, the City of Urbandale, Warren County, City of Johnston, Delta Dental, Meredith Corporation, Nationwide, Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Iowa, Wells Fargo Foundation, City of Indianola, City of Norwalk, City of West Des Moines, City of Clive, Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance Company of Iowa, Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines, Fidelity & Guaranty Life, IMT Insurance, City of Windsor Heights, City of Carlisle, Bankers Trust, Kemin Industries, NCMIC Group, Veridian Credit Union, Global Atlantic Financial Group, GuideOne Insurance, Merchants Bonding Company, Ruan Transportation Management Systems, Community Choice Credit Union, Warren County Economic Development Corp. and Warren County Philanthropic Partnership.
 
“We are thankful for the impact small businesses have in making our region a vibrant place where people want to live,” said Polk County Supervisor Robert Brownell. “This fund was a total community effort, and we are hopeful it will help small businesses toward the path to recovery.”