North Dakota’s Economic Resiliency Grant program aims to help businesses and spark consumer confidence

By Andrew Weeks

BISMARCK, N.D. • The North Dakota Department of Commerce has opened the application period for the Economic Resiliency Grant program.

The application period opened on Wednesday, Aug. 12.

The ERG is designed to enhance revenue in both the immediate and long-term future by growing consumer confidence.

The program offers grants of up to $50,000 to qualified businesses who have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic – those that had to temporarily close or restrict customers from coming into their places of business. Larger grants, those of up to $100,000, are available for businesses that have multiple locations.

Money from the grants must only be used to make improvements to businesses for the purpose of reducing the spread of infection and instilling consumer confidence in the marketplace, said Commerce Commissioner Michelle Kommer, such as installing touchless features or technology to manage services.

Besides the obvious – helping to reduce virus spread – Kommer said she believes there are at least two other benefits from such improvements.

“One is that customers, knowing that a company such as a restaurant or barber shop, has made specific improvements to reduce the spread of infection is going to make them more comfortable visiting,” she said. “But the second thing is just as important but perhaps not as direct, which is that we’re helping to build a COVID-resistant economy in North Dakota” that hopefully will attract the eye of future investors and other businesses.

“So perhaps these investments can also encourage growth as other companies look to North Dakota as a place to bring their business because we have made these investments,” she said.

Kommer said a sort of checks and balances will be in place during the application process to make sure money will be used appropriately.

The grants – these are not loans, she said – also are retroactive dating back to March 27, so owners who already have spent money on upgrading their business to make it more user-friendly and safer during the pandemic can be reimbursed.

Those awarded with grants will be notified on Sept. 11 and funds will be dispersed on Sept. 25. Kommer said grant money must be used by Dec. 29.

Applications will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis. Funding will be approved if the application meets all criteria and funding is available. Additional information can be found at belegendary.link/ERG.

“We look forward to assisting businesses in making infection-control improvements to inspire customers to return to the marketplace – safely,” Kommer said in a statement the day before the application period opened. “I encourage eligible businesses to pursue this opportunity to help create a resilient economy.”