Comcast announced on Thursday that starting today (October 1), it is accepting applications for $1 million in grants to 100 small businesses owned by people of color, including Black, Indigenous, Hispanic, and Asian American owners, among others, in the Twin Cities. The grantees may also receive technology and marketing resources.
The Twin Cities is among six markets, including Houston, Miami, Oakland, Seattle, and Washington, D.C., that were selected to award a $10,000 grant to 100 local businesses from the Comcast RISE Investment Fund, for a total of $6 million across 600 businesses.
Businesses can apply now through October 14, for Comcast RISE monetary grants, and, or marketing and technology services at www.ComcastRISE.com.
Winners will be notified in late November.
“The Comcast Rise Investment Fund will ensure that 100 businesses that exist today will continue to exist tomorrow,” said Governor Tim Walz, State of Minnesota. “Minnesota knows that this pandemic has created challenges for many small businesses, especially minority owned businesses. We continue to do everything we can to help them until things get better. I highly encourage small businesses owned by people of color to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity provided by our friends at Comcast.”
The Investment Fund is an extension of Comcast RISE, the multi-year, multi-faceted initiative launched in October 2020 to support small businesses owned by people of color and provide the resources and tools they need to thrive for years to come. The Comcast RISE Investment Fund is focused on small businesses that have been in business for three or more years with 1-25 employees. Businesses must be in the Twin Cities seven-county metro (Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, and Washington Counties) to be eligible.
“While we know that no single organization can solve historic and systemic inequities overnight, we are committed to taking tangible actions that can drive long-term impact and change,” said Kalyn Hove, Regional Senior Vice President, Comcast Twin Cities. “Comcast RISE and the Comcast RISE Investment Fund offer the opportunity for small businesses owned by people of color to help grow their businesses, create jobs and play a vital role in supporting our communities. The Comcast RISE grants will provide more entrepreneurs of color with the resources and tools they need to scale their businesses and thrive for years to come.”
Comcast RISE Marketing and Technology Services
In addition to the Investment Fund, Comcast RISE, which stands for “Representation, Investment, Strength and Empowerment,” provides the opportunity for small businesses owned by people of color nationwide to apply for one or more of the following support focus areas with the opportunity to receive one.
Marketing Services from Effectv, the advertising sales division of Comcast Cable, and its creative agency, Mnemonic, are designed to help recipients with their marketing and media campaigns, including:
Media: A linear TV media campaign to run over a 90-day period.
Creative Production: Turnkey :30 TV commercial production, plus a media strategy consultation and 90-day media placement schedule.
Consulting: Advertising and marketing consultations with local Effectv marketing, research, and creative teams to gain insights on how to drive business.
Technology Makeovers: The state-of-the-art equipment and technology upgrade from Comcast Business includes computer equipment as well as Internet, Voice, and Cybersecurity services for up to a 12-month period. (Taxes and other fees may still apply for technology makeover services.)
Monetary Grants: In round one, which was announced in April of 2021, the Comcast RISE Investment Fund provided $5 million in grants to 500 small businesses owned by people of color in five cities: Philadelphia/Chester, Houston, Atlanta, Chicago, and Detroit. The Comcast RISE Investment Fund will provide an additional $6 million in grants to 600 small businesses owned by people of color in six cities: Miami, Houston, Oakland, Seattle, the Twin Cities, and Washington, D.C.
All eligible applicants will receive a monthly Comcast RISE newsletter with educational content, and all small business owners can visit the Comcast RISE destination on the X1 platform featuring aggregated small business news, tips, insights, and more.
Comcast RISE is part of Comcast’s ongoing efforts to advance digital equity and help to provide underrepresented small business owners with access to the digital tools and funding they need to thrive. Over the next 10 years, Comcast has committed $1 billion to programs and partnerships that will reach an estimated 50 million people with the skills, opportunities, and resources they need to succeed in an increasingly digital world.
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