Westborough EDC moves to formalize scoring for business assistance grants

Christy, chairing the Town of Westborough Economic Development Committee, opened discussion on revisions to the town’s business assistance grant rubric and invited Eslam and Danny to present their draft framework. Speaker 3 described a rubric designed to replace subjective decision-making with a scored evaluation that would allow the committee to track return on investment and allocate funds more equitably. "We get it more by score and a better way to track the ROI for the program," Speaker 3 said.

Members focused on three practical changes: stronger pre-vetting so ineligible applicants are screened before appearing before the committee; a percent‑of‑project cap on awards to prevent small projects from consuming the full grant pool (Speaker 3 suggested examples in the 30–50% range); and a regular quarterly allocation (discussed at approximately $15,000 per quarter). Several members recommended carrying unused funds forward rather than distributing grants merely because money remained available.

Committee members asked staff to circulate the draft rubric and to schedule a point‑by‑point review. Speaker 7 asked whether changes would apply to applications already submitted; the group agreed that revisions should be finalized at the December meeting and that current applications would be processed under the existing rules, with applicants told the rubric is under review. Staff will bring a final draft for committee comment and the EDC aims to start the revised process in January.

The committee emphasized preserving fairness and avoiding public embarrassment for applicants who lack required elements such as office or equipment space. Chair Christy offered to join working sessions if needed. No formal vote on policy changes was taken; the item was advanced as draft work for the next meetings.