Aurora Downtown offers grants to support small businesses

Aurora Downtown's Business Attraction and Retention Committee is offering a variety of grants to help support established businesses, property owners, and initiatives taking place in the downtown special service area (SSA One).

For a second year, Aurora Downtown's BAR Committee will provide two types of grants in areas that assist small businesses and contribute to the growth of downtown.

The downtown organization will offer grants for marketing, programs, and events that provide a new attraction for the area as well as improvement grants that enhance downtown.

Businesses can apply for either up to $2,500 to support a marketing, event, or program initiative; or for up to $5,000 to support permanent improvements on the exterior or interior of a space including signage.

Only one grant application per grant cycle will be considered.

Marketing, event, and program initiatives could include a new website, an event, marketing collateral, an exhibit, a program series, or to help support a specific community event.

Support will be considered for projects that improve the state of the building and may not be for repairs or preventative maintenance.

2021 BAR grant recipients included The Yetee, QT3 Fitness, JH Real Estate Partners, The Perch, Aurora Regional Fire Museum, and Fox Valley Music Foundation.

Grant applications are due by 5 p.m. on Sunday, May 1. Applications and a map of SSA One are available at auroradowntown.org.

Aurora Downtown is a nonprofit group of business and property owners within Special Service Area (SSA) One dedicated to a healthy and thriving downtown for everyone to enjoy. Learn more at auroradowntown.org.