Goal: To enhance the economic vitality of the downtown business district through an incentive program focused on the improvement of the customer experience within retail, restaurant, and specialty shops that provide an experience unique to downtown Batesville while creating an atmosphere that promotes shopping, dining and expands current market offerings, and enhances current downtown businesses.
As part of the program, businesses in the Main Street District must be willing to enhance their customer experience through permanent interior improvements or activate an underutilized space to encourage additional retail, restaurant or specialty businesses through permanent improvements to the interior of their locations. This grant also aims to enhance a customer’s experience through aesthetic improvements to retail, restaurant and specialty shops. Service oriented businesses will not be eligible to apply for grant funds unless the service business is a property owner who applies for funding in order create additional space for retail, restaurant or specialty shops.
Eligible businesses must be located within the Main Street District as shown on the attached map.
Previously completed projects are not eligible for funding.
Eligibility: Business Owners or Building Owners located in the Main Street District, as defined above, may submit an application. Applicants must own their building or have written permission from the building owner to make permanent improvement to their space. The space must be a retail, restaurant, specialty shop or a service business with the intent to lease to a retail, restaurant or specialty shop.
Application Information: Applications will be required by April 1, 2025. Submission of an application does not guarantee that a project will be funded. All applications will require the submission of at least one quote for consideration. All quotes must be submitted on business letterhead. Applications are to be dropped off at the Batesville Main Street Office at the Batesville Memorial Building, 132 S. Main St. Or emailed to [email protected] Applications will be reviewed and awarded by a committee of Main Street Board Members and Committee Members and will be scored based upon a number of factors including, but not limited to, the transformative nature of the project and the total benefit of the project to Batesville’s Main Street District. The grant recipients will be notified on or before April 30, 2025. Once all available grant money has been expended an announcement will be made to the public advising of the full expenditure of funds.
Maximum Amount of Grant: There is no minimum or maximum for funds requested in application for the grant program providing all eligibility and match requirements are met and grant funding is available. However, the total funds available for distribution under the program is $25,000.
Owner Investment: For every $1 of grant funding, the grant recipient must provide a match of $1. Based on this formula projects of $20,000 would require a $10,000 investment from the owner in order to receive $10,000 in grant funding. Labor / tasks performed by the applicant on the project may not be counted as in-kind matching funds.
Permitted Grant Expenditures: The following are eligible for funding: Purchase of permanent equipment, interior physical improvements to accommodate new business growth, or enhance the physical property for the improvement of the customer’s experience. Appropriate professional services and labor are also eligible expenses. No inventory or marketing material funds will be granted.
Appropriate Permits: Applicants must obtain all permits at the City of Batesville Office and ensure that any necessary compliance issues are addressed. Failure to comply with permitting requirements will result in the withholding of grant funds and termination of any grant award.
Premise Visit: As part of the committee’s review of applications submitted for the grant program the grant committee may request an appointment to visit the subject’s property/space for which funds are requested.
Project Timelines: Approved projects must be completed by December 31, 2025. Or a written request for extension must be submitted by December 31, 2025
Distribution of Grant Funds: Grant funds will be distributed as a reimbursement only after the recipient has expended their portion as per the signed grant agreement and the project has been completed. Batesville Main Street has the sole discretion to determine the project complete. The recipient may be reimbursed for eligible costs, fees and expenses only upon presentation of paid invoices and proof of payment (such as a canceled check, valid receipt). Batesville Main Street reserves the right to review a project prior to distributing grant funds.
Promotion of Grant Award: Batesville Main Street has the right to promote the award of grant funds via media written or otherwise. Batesville Main Street has the right to display a promotional sign during construction.
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