Art is Everywhere! and Wicked Cool Places Grant Programs

The Art is Everywhere! and Wicked Cool Places ARPA Grant Programs intend to help advance New Bedford, Massachusetts as one of the most culturally unique and creative cities in America. 

This is a combined application to apply for one or both of the grant programs. 

• Tutorial for Phase 1: https://youtu.be/6WSlPkq5hhw
• Tutorial for Phase 2: https://youtu.be/KL_85lMR5wg

Both grant programs prioritize creative solutions to expedite the recovery of the COVID-19 pandemic. Grant awards between $2,500 and $20,000 will be invested in projects from smaller scalable ideas to larger big ideas. Individuals, non-profits, community groups, and for-profits are all eligible to apply. 

In order to be eligible, projects must:

1. Be based within New Bedford, MA. 
2. Be reasonably designed to benefit New Bedford’s Tourism, Travel, and Hospitality Industry as a whole or creatively solve a COVID-19 public health problem.
3. Be in a disproportionately impacted industry: 1) Arts, Entertainment and Recreation; 2) Childcare Facilities; 3) Accommodation and Food Services; 4) Personal Care Services (gyms, salons, etc.); 5) Leisure and Hospitality.

• Be a placekeeping or placemaking project as defined above 

Art Is Everywhere: This grant aims to support projects that directly impact one or more current challenges facing residents, visitors and/or businesses in New Bedford’s neighborhoods. 

Wicked Cool Places:  This grant aims to support placemaking or placekeeping projects that directly involve and impact residents, visitors and/or businesses in New Bedford’s neighborhoods. Projects should be designed for making or keeping a place where things are happening, and people want to be. 

• Placekeeping: “The active care and maintenance of a place and its social fabric by the people who live and work there. It is not just preserving buildings but keeping the cultural memories associated with a locale alive, while supporting the ability of local people to maintain their way of life as they choose.” —USDAC
• Placemaking: “With community-based participation at its center, an effective placemaking process capitalizes on a local community’s assets, inspiration, and potential, and it results in the creation of quality public spaces that contribute to people’s health, happiness, and well-being.” —Project for Public Spaces 

For both programs, projects that advance diversity, equity, inclusion and access (DEIA) in all forms will be prioritized, as well as projects that limit the spread of COVID-19 by enabling greater use of outdoor spaces.

The New Bedford Creative ARPA Grant Programs are supported by federal award number SLFRP1067 awarded to The City of New Bedford by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Facilitated by New Bedford Creative housed at the New Bedford Economic Development Council, these grant programs are one component to respond to the public health emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

All questions are required unless otherwise stated. Also, Submittable will automatically save as you proceed through the application, so you can take breaks if you wish.

The deadline is before midnight on Monday, October 30th, 2023, to complete your application. If you have any questions regarding your application, you may contact Hendrick Hernandez-Resto at hhernandez@nbedc.org.

Intro/Guidelines

NBForward! is a new small business assistance program offered by the New Bedford Economic Development Council (NBEDC)

that provides resources for existing businesses to get through the challenges of the next phase of our pandemic recovery while looking toward investing in and preparing for, greater future success.

We will be offering grants of up to $20,000 in conjunction with matching financing and other technical assistance (business planning, resource guidance, best practices, etc.). Grant funds shall be matched with an NBEDC loan with deferred payments for three months. The minimum loan amount is $10,000, and the maximum loan amount is $200,000.

Eligible businesses will include:

• For-profit businesses that have a physical location and be registered within the City of New Bedford (evidenced by providing business tax return filings) and continue to suffer adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic (must have been in business by January 1, 2020).
• Businesses that are chains or franchises are not eligible to apply to this program.
• Businesses including liquor and tobacco stores, pawn shops, adult entertainment establishments, passive real estate investments, or businesses that do not meet all local, state, and federal laws and restrictions are ineligible.

All questions are required unless otherwise stated. Also, Submittable will automatically save as you proceed through the application, so you can take breaks if you wish. If you need additional support, please contact NBForward@nbedc.org.

ARTnet is a new artist recovery and training network to help artists recover from the economic impacts of the pandemic by providing financial support, business planning support, training workshops, and access to a network of creative-entrepreneur peers. ARTnet will include cohort-based learning in business and finance, 1-on-1 technical assistance and mentoring, and working capital grants for artists based in New Bedford. The majority of artists will be selected on the basis of their negative financial circumstances caused by the pandemic, and their readiness to benefit from the opportunity.
 

ARTnet es una nueva red de recuperación y capacitación de artistas para ayudar a los artistas a recuperarse de los impactos económicos de la pandemia al proporcionar apoyo financiero, apoyo de planificación comercial, talleres de capacitación y acceso a una red de compañeros creativos-emprendedores. ARTnet incluirá aprendizaje basado en cohortes en negocios y finanzas, asistencia técnica y tutoría 1 a 1, y subvenciones de capital de trabajo para artistas con sede en New Bedford. La mayoría de los artistas serán seleccionados sobre la base de sus circunstancias financieras negativas causadas por la pandemia y su disposición a beneficiarse de la oportunidad.

Each artist will receive:

• $4,000 working capital grant
• support creating a strategic business plan that outlines the business/career goals for moving forward in a post-COVID economy
• priority sign-up for a series of business or professional technical assistance workshops
• access to a community cohort of artist peers

Cada artista recibirá: 

• Subvención de capital de trabajo de $4,000 
• apoyar la creación de un plan de negocios estratégico que describa los objetivos comerciales / profesionales para avanzar en una economía post-COVID
• Inscripción prioritaria para una serie de talleres de asistencia técnica empresarial o profesional 
• Acceso a una cohorte comunitaria de compañeros artistas

In addition to the cash award, the selected participants will be required to attend a minimum of six monthly peer-cohort meetings, four professional development workshops or meetings, and submit a business/career plan no later than one year after receiving the award. 

Además del premio en efectivo, los participantes seleccionados deberán asistir a un mínimo de seis reuniones mensuales de cohortes de pares, cuatro talleres o reuniones de desarrollo profesional y presentar un plan de negocios / carrera a más tardar un año después de recibir el premio. 

The ARTnet ARPA Grant Program is supported by federal award number SLFRP1067 awarded to the City of New Bedford by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Facilitated by New Bedford Creative at the New Bedford Economic Development Council, this program is one component to respond to the public health emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In order to be eligible, applicants must:

• Be based in New Bedford, MA: residing full-time in New Bedford, Massachusetts.
• Be able to submit two years of federal tax returns: 1040 or Schedule C 1040 (2020 and 2021 or 2021 and 2022).
• Be a “Practicing artist,” who is self/community-taught, institutionally trained, or a combination of both. Must have been a “practicing artist” since before January 1, 2020 (must have been impacted by the pandemic), OR be located in a HUD-designated Qualified Census Tract (please see attached map – click here)

El Programa de Subvenciones ARTnet ARPA está respaldado por el número de concesión federal SLFRP1067 otorgado a la Ciudad de New Bedford por el Departamento del Tesoro de los Estados Unidos. Facilitado por New Bedford Creative en el Consejo de Desarrollo Económico de New Bedford, este programa es un componente para responder a la emergencia de salud pública causada por la pandemia de COVID-19. Para ser elegible, los solicitantes deben:

• Estar basado en New Bedford, MA: residiendo a tiempo completo en New Bedford, Massachusetts. 
• Poder presentar dos años de declaraciones de impuestos federales: 1040 o Anexo C 1040 (2020 y 2021 o 2021 y 2022). 
• Ser un "artista practicante", que es autodidacta / comunitaria, entrenado institucionalmente o una combinación de ambos. Debe haber sido un "artista practicante" desde antes del 1 de enero de 2020 (debe haber sido afectado por la pandemia), O estar ubicado en un Distrito Censal Calificado designado por HUD (consulte el mapa adjunto - haga clic aquí)

All questions are required unless otherwise stated. Please read and follow the directions carefully. Also, Submittable will automatically save as you proceed through the application, so you can take breaks if you wish. If you have any questions regarding your application, you may contact Marianella Perry at mperry@nbedc.org.
 

Todas las preguntas son obligatorias a menos que se indique lo contrario. Además, Submittable se guardará automáticamente a medida que avance en la aplicación, para que pueda tomar descansos si lo desea. Si tiene alguna pregunta con respecto a su solicitud, puede comunicarse con Marianella Perry en mperry@nbedc.org.