PROGRAM ROLLOUT
T
he City of Houston selected Houston Business Development, Inc. (HBDi), to serve as grant administrator. A Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) with more than 35 years of experience, the HBDi team led the development of the SBERP application portal, processed all applications including handling customer service and technical assistance, disbursed funds to grant recipients, and managed the implementation of the program’s Recovery and Resiliency component.
SBERP’S ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA • Must be a for profit business or chamber of commerce located within the city limits of Houston. • Must have been in business for at least one (1) year prior to March 1, 2020. • Must provide evidence of how business revenue has significantly decreased because of government restrictions or other challenges due to COVID-19. • Must have generated $2 million or less in gross annual revenue pre-COVID-19. • Must be in good standing regarding City requirements (e.g. property taxes, personal property, grounds for debarment, etc.). • Must commit to completing the Recovery & Resiliency component of the program. In addition to meeting core eligibility requirements and to ensure the equitable distribution of grant dollars, as well as to achieve the goals of the program, applications were prioritized based on:
SOCIAL MEDIA OUTREACH: Two daily posts on OBO’s social media channels directed Houstonians to the SBERP application portal, www.cityofhouston-sberp.com.
With targeted outreach and media coverage, information about the availability of grant funds for small businesses reached constituents residing in all City Council districts. The Office of Business Opportunity also embarked on an aggressive social media campaign with assistance from HillDay Public Relations, Inc. During the application period, two daily posts on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter directed Houstonians to the application portal which received more than 12,000 grant applications. The HillDay team, a womanand minority-owned business enterprise, included Argentina M. James, president and CEO, and her public relations team - Ronnie Piper, Ron McFarlane, Russell Gallien, Samar Quinn and Vanessa Vidaurri. Page 8 | SBERP IMPACT REPORT
Geography: Business location to ensure that historically disenfranchised businesses have equitable access to funding. Employee Makeup: Businesses that employ low- to moderate-income Houstonians and businesses that have 10 or more employees (for job retention). Legacy: Businesses that have been in operation for 5 or more years. Resiliency: Businesses that demonstrate, via their Recovery and Resiliency plan, that they have a strong chance of surviving during and postCOVID-19. Challenges with Access to Capital: Businesses with demonstrated challenges obtaining business financing through traditional financial sources.
