How to Apply

Applicants must submit completed applications and required attachments via email, mail, or in person. Applicants will receive an email confirmation within 48 business hours of receipt.

Applications will be accepted until all grant funds have been disbursed.

City of Emmetsburg
Economic Development
2108 Main Street
Emmetsburg, IA 50536
[email protected]
712-852-2067

Additional Info

Contact
Interested applicants are encouraged to review all published material and contact Gretchen Reichter at 712-852-2067 or [email protected] with questions well in advance of application deadlines.

Resources
It is highly recommended for all applicants to utilize the services of the Northwest Iowa Small Business Development Center (SBDC) to prepare business plans and financial projections. Additional small business resources include Iowa SourceLink and the Tietz Entrepreneurial Center.

Eligibility

Eligible Applicants/Business Projects
Businesses must be located in or plan to locate within Emmetsburg city limits. Eligible business projects include:

• New Business Startup
• Retirement Acquisition/New Ownership
• Established Business – Expansion (new products or services, physical expansion or capital project)
• Established Business – New Location
• Established Business – Relocation to Emmetsburg

Eligible Uses of Funds

Eligible project expenses include, but are not limited to:

• Land/building acquisition
• Business acquisition
• Construction
• Major renovation/repair of buildings
• Site development
• Engineering, planning, and design costs
• Materials and inventory
• Equipment and supplies
• Marketing
• Website development/e-commerce creation
• Legal Fees
• Other expenses as approved by the City

Program Timeline

May 1, 2025 | Application Opens
Applications available online at www.emmetsburg.com/business-grant. Applications and support materials must be received by email, mail or delivery (2108 Main Street, Emmetsburg).

May 30, 2025 | Round 1 Review Deadline
Applications will be reviewed by a panel (including government, economic development, finance, and small business sectors) on an ongoing basis through Friday, May 30. Top-scoring applications received by May 30 will be invited to schedule a presentation with a smaller interview committee to pitch their business projects and answer any questions the committee may have. First round funding decisions will be made by Monday, June 16.

June 30, 2025 | Round 2 Review Deadline
Applications will be accepted as long as funding remains available. A second round of top-scoring candidates will be invited to schedule pitch presentations after the June 30 review deadline. Second round funding decisions will be made by Monday, June 21.

Funding

Grant Request
Applicants may request funding for eligible expenses incurred and expended within the eligible funding period (see below).

Funding Period
All project activities and incurred expenses must occur within the eligible contracted funding period of June 1, 2025-December 1, 2025, unless prior approval is granted. Expenses incurred after the eligible funding period are not eligible for reimbursement, unless otherwise approved. If the business does not have capital to cover costs upfront, it may apply for financing through Emmetsburg Municipal Utilities’ revolving loan fund.

Disbursement of Funds
One-half of the grant award will be paid to the recipient upfront. The remaining half will be disbursed to the grant recipient after expenses for approved project activities have been incurred within the eligible period. The final grant disbursement request must be made to the City of Emmetsburg Economic Development Department along with all invoices or receipts detailing a description of expenditures/corresponding amounts and proof of payment for all purchases/invoices.

Reporting

Monthly Reporting
The City of Emmetsburg will check in regularly on the
progress being made on the business startup/expansion project. The grant recipient shall provide a description of any deviations from the proposed timeline.

Final Report

A final report must be submitted to the City. The final report shall contain the following:

• Executive summary
• Timeline of completion of tasks needed to open/expand the business
• Budget narrative, detailing how funds were spent in support of the project
• Narrative description of any deviation from the original budget, timeline, or any grant activity
• Narrative description of the impact that the grant had on the opening/expansion of the business
• Narrative description of any training completed as part of the grant program