Commission directs staff to open small-business grant portal Sept. 15 after questions on eligibility and training

The City Commission directed staff to begin accepting applications for the city’s small‑business grant program on Sept. 15, using $1,000,000 in COVID‑relief funds allocated for business support, marketing and training — after commissioners raised concerns about application burdens and the balance between direct financial help and education programs.

A commissioner pulled Consent Item 7B to ask staff for more detail. She said conversations with downtown merchants and a local tenant representative, Ray Parsons, showed most small businesses wanted near‑term cash assistance rather than training. Staff and the economic development director, David Rodriguez, described the planned approach: an online portal (Neighborly) will collect applications, but staff will not require a DUNS number and will act as underwriters to verify business location inside city limits, registration to operate in the city, and documentation of financial hardship. The portal will open Sept. 15 and staff said the application process will be streamlined compared with prior rounds.

Commissioners asked that the marketing piece proceed and that the training/upskill contracts be revisited if demand for direct grants outstrips the program. Staff said marketing funding (~$200,000) will continue, the UCF incubator contract for business education is still pending, and the Upskill Kissimmee training cohort can be put on hold if needed. Commissioners agreed by voice vote to direct staff to proceed with opening the portal and pursing outreach; staff said they would monitor application volumes and could reallocate training funds if necessary.