All grant applicants must complete the application process and comply with all program requirements. Other eligibility requirements include:

• The business must be owned and operated within Genesee County.
• A current business plan must be submitted with the grant application.
• The business must not be a franchise or nonprofit organization.
• The business owner cannot be an employee of the Flint & Genesee Group, its divisions, or subsidiaries, nor an immediate family member (spouse, parent, child, etc.) of an employee.
• The business must be properly registered and in good standing as of the application date; must be able to prove with Articles of Incorporation or Articles of Organization, Annual Report or Annual Statement, etc.
• Business may not involved in bankruptcy proceedings.
• Business owners must not appear on the Michigan State Police Sex Offender Registry and must comply with the U.S. Patriot Act (Sections 3-4).

Please note that grantees must complete a four-week training cohort, with one session per week (two in-person and two virtual), as a requirement for receiving funding. Additionally, grantees must host at least one on-site visit by program staff to demonstrate progress or completion of grant activities.