Small businesses in Tacoma owned by women and people of color can now apply for $5,000 in grants for their business through the Thrive Tacoma Business Fund. Announced as part of a $400,000 investment by Comcast in the South Sound, the goal of the Thrive Tacoma Business Fund is to provide direct financial support for small businesses owned by women and people of color, many of which are struggling with rising expenses and inflation.
The fund was renewed this year with $150,000 in funding from Comcast, and the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber serving as the program and fund manager. Additional financial support is also being invested in non-profits with digital navigators that will provide access and assistance to program participants. These community partners include the Black Collective, Mi Centro, and Asia Pacific Cultural Center.
To be eligible to apply for the Thrive Tacoma Business Fund, businesses must be located in the City of Tacoma, have 15 or fewer employees, and be majority-owned by women and/or BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) individuals. In addition to a total of $100,000 in grants, recipients will receive direct finance, digital access, and other technical support specifically curated to their unique business challenges, thereby ensuring greater equitable economic development in Tacoma.
Interested businesses can apply for the Thrive Tacoma Business Fund at tacomachamber.org/thrive. The application is available in four languages including English, Spanish, Korean, and Vietnamese. The application window is from July 24th, 2023 to August 31st, 2023. Recipients will be chosen from the applicant pool at random.
Comcast’s support for the Thrive Tacoma Business Fund is part of a new $400,000 investment in four Tacoma-based organizations to form a digital equity network in the South Sound Region, aimed at advancing digital and economic opportunity for local students, families, and small business owners. Furthering the company’s deep and longstanding commitment to advancing equity and opportunity, donations to Boys & Girls Clubs of the South Puget Sound, Goodwill of the Olympics & Rainier Region, TeamWrk, and the Thrive Tacoma Business Fund will support digital access and adoption through tech training and career building.
The Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber is the voice for business and catalyst for prosperity. The vision of the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber is to make the South Sound the most equitable, inclusive, and thriving place to do business in Washington State.
