MINNEAPOLIS — Local small businesses have a chance to get a boost of capital and resources through a grant program available in the Twin Cities.
Comcast RISE is an extension of The Investment Fund, a multi-year, multi-faceted program launched in October 2020 to support small businesses owned by people of color.
RISE, which stands for "Representation, Investment, Strength and Empowerment," provides small businesses the opportunity to apply to win grant money or support in the form of one of the following services:
- Marketing Services: The following 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. in this round of grants.
To apply for the grant program or the marketing and technology services, visit the Comcast site available here.
See the story of one St. Paul business, The Creative Studio MN, that benefitted from one of these grants: