The city of Edinburg rolled out a fourth round of their small-business stimulus program meant to financially assist businesses that have been negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Applications are now being accepted for the Stimulus Program Aimed at Recovery, or SPARC, which was created by the city and the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation.
SPARC’s fourth round is offering two types of relief programs — a facade improvement program and a home-based business program, according to a news release issued by the city.
The facade improvement program will provide up to $10,000 for locally owned businesses to “improve and beautify” their businesses through improvements such as paint, signage, minor window repairs and outdoor patios.
The home-improvement program will provide a $2,000 award to business owners who work out of their home. Those home-based business owners are encouraged to use those funds on furniture, supplies, equipment, etc.
Businesses approved for the facade home improvement program must have their projects completed by Oct. 1.
The SPARC program was first launched in July 2020 and the first two rounds of the program were funded by the COVID-19 relief funds the city received through the CARES Act.
To date, SPARC has awarded more than $2 million in grants to locally owned small businesses and $1.8 million in gift cards to Edinburg residents.
The city began accepting applications from local businesses for SPARC 4.0 on Monday and will continue accepting applications until all funds have been depleted.
For more information on eligibility or to apply for the grants, visit www.cityofedinburg.com/sparc or call the city’s helpline at (956) 259-HELP.
