LIMA — JobsOhio has announced its fourth year of the inclusion grant. According to a recent press release, the organization hopes to support minority-owned businesses and businesses in distressed communities. Each grant awarded is $25,000. The organization helps companies who are interested in utilizing the dollars for land and building costs, equipment, infrastructure and site development.
“This grant is focused on the JobsOhio 10 targeted industries, automotive, advanced manufacturing and food processing. Those are the people we typically work with,” said Chase Eikenbary, vice president of project management of JobsOhio. “We also can work with companies who are focused on business-to-business sales. Service providers who have the majority of their sales business-to-business qualify for inclusion grants.”
Eikenbary also said some businesses have the opportunity to double the grant if they are minority-owned and located in a distressed community.
“If a company plans on spending $50,000 to $60,000 on equipment or machinery, perhaps we can come and help offset that,” Eikenbary said. “That can be such a big challenge especially when you are a small business — there is a little bit of room for discretion depending on what the industry is.”
Eikenbary also said the grant is reimbursable. Businesses that spend $25,000 or more can apply.
“In Allen County, one might ask what a distressed zip code is,” said Dave Stratton, Allen Economic Development Group president. “Typically, it is four zip codes in Allen County: 45801, 45804, 45805 and 45877.”
Project manager Rose Franklin said the Lima/Allen County Chamber of Commerce is looking for companies who would be eligible for the inclusion grant.
“Since the start of this program (in 2020), in the 17 counties, we’ve had 84 JobsOhio inclusion grants,” Eikenbary said. “In Allen County alone, we have had 12 — a total of $375,000 worth of inclusion grants have been provided to those 12 companies. Three of them have been women-owned businesses, one has been a minority and one has been a veteran. The rest have been because they have qualified for ZIP Code locations.”
For more information on the grant reach Rose Franklin at 419-222-7706.
Reach Precious Grundy at 567-242-0351.
