Tigard Commercial Assistance & Relief for Economic Stability

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For the latest information, visit the City's Economic Development webpage - https://www.tigard-or.gov/business-development/economic-development

Application window is currently closed

To date, over $3.4 million in financial aid has been awarded.


Tigard CARES - Recovery Ready Grant Program 

City Council allocated an initial $100,000 in American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) funds to support Tigard businesses. Recovery Ready Grants are intended to help businesses in critical need of funding who have been hit hardest by the COVID-19 public health crisis. Given the immediate availability of ARPA funds, the City, in coordination with Micro Enterprise Services of Oregon (MESO), is collecting grant applications, reviewing eligibility, and making awards as soon as April 4, 2022. Please review the information below before you start your online application.

Award Amounts

Grant awards range from $1,000 to $5,000 and are granted based on documented negative COVID-19 impacts and business need.


Business Eligibility

Small businesses grants must be used to respond to negative economic impacts of the COVID-19 public health emergency. According to federal rules, grants cannot be used to cover negative impacts from longer-term economic trends unrelated to the pandemic. A business owner must be able to relate their grant request to a negative impact from COVID-19. Examples of negative COVID-19 impacts include:

  • Expense incurred for COVID-19 mitigation measures (like PPE) or cost associated with adopting safer COVID-19 operating practices.
  • Increased operating costs due to COVID-19.
  • Retention of employees during State-mandated COVID-19 closures.
  • Decreased revenue due to State-mandated COVID-19 closures.


Federal guidelines identify the Travel, Tourism, and Hospitality sectors as suffering disproportional negative COVID-19 Impacts. Business in these sectors will be prioritized for grant funding. Firms in business sectors with commensurate negative impact will also be considered. As required by ARPA rules, the City of Tigard will publicly report financial assistance provided to businesses and the related negative economic impacts.


Funding Priorities

As in previous rounds of grant making, the City of Tigard may not have sufficient funds to make grant awards to every applicant. The City will use this application process to assess business needs, and determine whether more grant funding should be made available for business support grants. The following information will help determine funding priorities:


  • Business where the owner is the primary earner for their household.
  • Businesses size.
  • Percentage of revenue lost during COVID-19.
  • Percentage of operating cost increase due to COVID-19.
  • Increase of debt to finance business operations during COVID-19.
  • Decrease of personal savings to finance business operations during COVID-19.
  • Businesses located in a Qualified Census Tract.
  • Travel, Tourism & Hospitality sector businesses.


Timing

  • Week of March 28th - first round of grant applications will be reviewed. Applications will continue to be accepted after this date.
  • Week of April 4th - Awardees will be notified, and grant awards will start being distributed by our partner MESO.


Depending on assessed need, the City may increase funding for a second round of grant awards to businesses that have not already received funding.

If you have questions about the application or need assistance completing a form, please email tigard0322@mesopdx.org.

Application window is currently closed

To date, over $3.4 million in financial aid has been awarded.


Tigard CARES - Recovery Ready Grant Program 

City Council allocated an initial $100,000 in American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) funds to support Tigard businesses. Recovery Ready Grants are intended to help businesses in critical need of funding who have been hit hardest by the COVID-19 public health crisis. Given the immediate availability of ARPA funds, the City, in coordination with Micro Enterprise Services of Oregon (MESO), is collecting grant applications, reviewing eligibility, and making awards as soon as April 4, 2022. Please review the information below before you start your online application.

Award Amounts

Grant awards range from $1,000 to $5,000 and are granted based on documented negative COVID-19 impacts and business need.


Business Eligibility

Small businesses grants must be used to respond to negative economic impacts of the COVID-19 public health emergency. According to federal rules, grants cannot be used to cover negative impacts from longer-term economic trends unrelated to the pandemic. A business owner must be able to relate their grant request to a negative impact from COVID-19. Examples of negative COVID-19 impacts include:

  • Expense incurred for COVID-19 mitigation measures (like PPE) or cost associated with adopting safer COVID-19 operating practices.
  • Increased operating costs due to COVID-19.
  • Retention of employees during State-mandated COVID-19 closures.
  • Decreased revenue due to State-mandated COVID-19 closures.


Federal guidelines identify the Travel, Tourism, and Hospitality sectors as suffering disproportional negative COVID-19 Impacts. Business in these sectors will be prioritized for grant funding. Firms in business sectors with commensurate negative impact will also be considered. As required by ARPA rules, the City of Tigard will publicly report financial assistance provided to businesses and the related negative economic impacts.


Funding Priorities

As in previous rounds of grant making, the City of Tigard may not have sufficient funds to make grant awards to every applicant. The City will use this application process to assess business needs, and determine whether more grant funding should be made available for business support grants. The following information will help determine funding priorities:


  • Business where the owner is the primary earner for their household.
  • Businesses size.
  • Percentage of revenue lost during COVID-19.
  • Percentage of operating cost increase due to COVID-19.
  • Increase of debt to finance business operations during COVID-19.
  • Decrease of personal savings to finance business operations during COVID-19.
  • Businesses located in a Qualified Census Tract.
  • Travel, Tourism & Hospitality sector businesses.


Timing

  • Week of March 28th - first round of grant applications will be reviewed. Applications will continue to be accepted after this date.
  • Week of April 4th - Awardees will be notified, and grant awards will start being distributed by our partner MESO.


Depending on assessed need, the City may increase funding for a second round of grant awards to businesses that have not already received funding.

If you have questions about the application or need assistance completing a form, please email tigard0322@mesopdx.org.

Grant Recipients Stories

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    BKB Associates

    over 3 years ago

    BKB Associates owner Brant Blodgett grew up in rural Willamette Valley and treats his customers with the type of friendly, easygoing demeanor you would expect from a lifelong Oregonian.

    “We started this business to help smaller companies in a personal way with the task of making their office look great without breaking the bank,” says Brant.

    After graduating from Oregon State University in 1988, Brant began his career in sales and marketing. Along the way, he spent seven years working with a prominent furniture and industrial products company. After gaining experience in the industry, Brant decided to open his own... Continue reading

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    Corrective Step Foot Health Center

    over 3 years ago

    While receiving his education and training at Emory University and the Atlanta VA Medical Center, Dr. Ejiro Isiorho (pictured) was troubled by the impersonal and hurried nature of the medical profession. “It feels like many providers focus on getting patients in and out the door fastest instead of helping them get better,” says Ejiro. Disheartened by this revolving door approach to medicine, Ejiro saw a better way and decided to open Corrective Step Foot Health Center with compassion and patient education at the forefront of his practice.

    With nearly 130 years of combined health care experience under one roof, Corrective... Continue reading

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    Oregon Music Academy

    almost 4 years ago

    With budget cuts forcing the elimination of music programs from local school curriculums, Renee and Matt Dolphin started offering after school music lessons and classes to help fill the growing need for more arts programs. The need was clearly there, and the number of students in Renee and Matt’s programs kept growing. They quickly outgrew their original lesson space, the 100-year-old, one room Rex schoolhouse near Sherwood. To meet demand, Renee and Matt started Oregon Music Academy in 2009, moving into their current facility on the corner of 99W and Durham Road.

    “We have been helping kids and adults learn... Continue reading

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    Willamette Anxiety Clinic

    almost 4 years ago

    Twin sisters Allison and Jennifer Labrousse dreamed of opening their own clinic while studying for their Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at George Fox University. Shortly after graduating, Allison and Jennifer opened Willamette Anxiety Clinic to turn their dream into a reality. Utilizing evidence-based treatment, Allison and Jennifer focus on providing counseling services for individuals experiencing anxiety and depression, tailoring treatment to their client's specific circumstances, values, and needs.

    “We have a passion for helping our clients experience healing and are dedicated to their mental wellness,” says Allison and Jennifer. “We’ve been in business for one year... Continue reading

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    Pacific Northwest Acupuncture & Herbal Clinic

    almost 4 years ago

    Abby Drinkard and Marianna Dubova (pictured) opened Pacific Northwest Acupuncture & Herbal Clinic in October 2001 after graduating from the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine. Marianna and Abby had been study partners at school and opened their clinic with a vision to provide complementary and alternative medicine treatments and educate the community about the importance of mind and body healing and wellness.

    “We are a very small business, women run and operated,” says Abby and Marianna. “This coming October we will be starting our 20th year in business and we’ve been in Tigard the whole time. We get patients from... Continue reading

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    Mai's Travel Service

    almost 4 years ago

    Mai Harlan started Mai’s Travel Service 26 years ago to break out on her own after being employed by another travel company for seven years. Working with both business and leisure travelers, Mai builds highly customized travel arrangements that save time and make travel fun and hassle free. Mai loves helping people embark on new adventures by experiencing and exploring the world. She prides herself on timely, efficient service for her clients and works hard to provide the best travel options available.

    Mai’s began experiencing difficulties related to COVID-19 in mid-February, when her clients began cancelling trips due to flight... Continue reading

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    Fido's

    almost 4 years ago

    Combining beer and dogs, two things Pacific Northwesterners love best, Fido’s is “The World’s First Dog Tap House” and anything but your typical brewpub. Sure, they have adult beverages (40 taps of beer, wine and cider to be exact) and a wide-ranging food menu, but the main attraction is on four legs. Dedicated to world class beer and the welfare of dogs, Fido’s is the first (and still only) bar in the world that fosters rescue dogs, featuring anywhere from four to six pooches who live at the bar until they’re adopted. Dogs reside in a special “fido room,” where... Continue reading

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    Vaughan Computer Networking

    almost 4 years ago


    Henry “Hank” Vaughan (pictured) started Vaughan Computer Networking out of necessity. Let go from his job at a large firm, Hank decided to open his own company with the niche of maintaining computer systems exclusively for dental offices. This includes specialized digital imaging and x-ray equipment that dental offices rely on to diagnose patients.

    Starting out with four clients Hank knew from his previous job, Vaughan Computer Networking has grown by word of mouth since opening in 2003. “Most of my customers have been with me almost two decades,” Hank says. “At one point we had 150 clients in three... Continue reading

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    The Tamale House

    almost 4 years ago


    The Tamale House has been in Tigard for nearly 10 years. Owner Maria Magdalena Jump learned about the emergency relief grant after the City of Tigard and the Tigard Chamber of Commerce reached out to her. If it hadn’t been for that intentional contact, she likely would not have known about the grant opportunity.

    Two major barriers that kept The Tamale House from being able to get funding in the past were not having the right documentation to fill the requirements and not being able to navigate the traditional banking system.

    With a $1,500 Tigard CARES grant, The Tamale House... Continue reading

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    GDL Screen Printing

    almost 4 years ago

    Brothers Ramón and Carlos Diaz dreamed of starting their own screen printing business in Oregon. They had years of experience, so in 2015 they started their business in the garage of Ramón's house. By combining their efforts in the sales and production area, in a short time the business grew.

    In 2017, the garage space was no longer sufficient. So, with a loan from MESO, they moved to a commercial space in Tigard and acquired more equipment that allowed them to increase their production and gave more reliability to the business. In just a few months, production doubled.

    Unfortunately, due... Continue reading