The mini grants award the efforts of small, independently-owned neighborhood businesses to strengthen neighborhood business districts in Pittsburgh. The first grant of $2,500 was awarded to a business district who created a "Boulevard Bucks" shopper rewards program. Customers earn $5 in Boulevard Bucks for every $50 spent at businesses along Brookline Boulevard.
URA believes the new mini-grant program will be successful due to the neighborhood concept that exists in Pittsburgh. They have approximately $45,000 in grant money to help neighborhood small businesses continue to thrive and grow.
The Pittsburgh URA plans to provide a total of seven or eight grants to neighborhood small business owners. In addition, the URA wants to obtain more funding from the city and state in order to continue the grant program next year
For more information, visit www.ura.org/
