Business Impact Opportunity Fund

Denver Economic Development & Opportunity is now accepting applications for grants up to $15,000 and technical assistance to businesses economically impacted by major public construction projects. While these infrastructure projects provide long-term benefits of improved mobility and livability, in the short-term they can disproportionately burden Denver’s small, neighborhood-serving businesses.

The first round of applications focused on small businesses that have been impacted by the following city-funded construction project(s):

• East Colfax Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Construction: East Colfax Avenue from Broadway to Williams Street (Segment 1) for construction that began in November 2024.
  • Please note: Businesses located east of Williams Street (Segment 2), will have an opportunity to apply in the next round of the program.

• West Colfax Pedestrian Crossing & Transit Improvements: West Colfax Avenue from Irving Street to Sheridan Blvd for construction occurring in Q3 and Q4 of 2024.
  
  

NOTE: Businesses operating on the 16^th Street Mall are not eligible for this BIO Fund program and should review its business support program offered at this link. 

The Construction Stabilization Grants

This grant is intended to support small businesses that have been impacted by specified city-funded construction projects within 350 feet of their business location.

• Applicants may apply for a one-time grant
• The grant amount is based on the annual gross revenue tier
  • $7,500 for businesses with annual gross revenue equal to or less than $100,000
  • $15,000 for businesses with annual gross revenue greater than $100,000

The 2025 BIO Fund program is funded through the city's Investment Impact Special Revenue Fund as well as federally funded through American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars. This program continues to address specific challenges faced by small businesses that have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 public health crisis and who, as a result, often more severely experience economic challenges and hardships. Business eligibility requirements apply.

Businesses that complete an application must meet ALL of the following criteria to be considered for a grant. 

1. Be located in the City and County of Denver, in good standing with the Colorado Secretary of State’s office, and compliant with all city, state and federal licensing and taxing authorities
   
   
2. Be engaged in activities that are legal under Colorado state law
   
   
3. Your business is in one of the following eligible North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes:
   • 44 or 45: Retail
   • 71: Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation
   • 72: Accommodation and Food Services
   • 81: Other Services (except Public Administration). Please note: 81 includes, but is not limited to personal care services, laundry, auto repair and maintenance. This code is NOT a "default" for all other industries not listed above.
     
     For reference, you can access the NAICS codes database.
4. 2024 annual gross revenue between $30,000 and $5,000,000
   
   
5. Demonstrate a 20% or greater revenue decline using a minimum 90-day consecutive revenue period comparing pre-construction revenue with during-construction revenue resulting from public construction impact
   
   
6. This grant is intended to support small businesses that have been impacted by specified city-funded construction projects within 350 feet or less of their business location

Before starting an application, be sure to review the 'Eligibility' tab as specific business requirements apply.  

**Applications are currently closed. A second application round will open on May 13. Eligible businesses located on East Colfax (Broadway to Colorado Blvd) that have not received grant support in the first application round can apply.**

The following documentation will be needed to complete this application: 

• Financial documentation evidencing your business’s 2024 tax year’s annual gross revenue.
  
  
• Financial documentation comparing a minimum consecutive 90-day pre-construction revenue period with a minimum consecutive 90-day during-construction revenue period resulting in a 20% or greater revenue decline. Similar revenue periods (that is year-over-year) are required to eliminate seasonality or other short-term increases/decreases in revenue.
  
  

Examples of acceptable financial documentation include the following: profit & loss or income statement, sales report, sales tax report, POS report, P2P payment app report, or IRS tax return transcript. Bank statements will not be accepted.

• Current certificate from the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office. You can obtain a Certificate of Good Standing or Certificate of Fact of Trade Name for your business at this link. If your certificate is expired or delinquent, you may update the status using the appropriate form found at this link. Search for your business name, click on the ID Number, select “Confirm” (authorized to make changes) and “File Periodic Report.” Call the Secretary of State's office if you need assistance at 303‐894‐2200 and press 2; or email: business@coloradosos.gov.
  
  
• Grant awards are based on a combination of factors. A completed application does not guarantee an award.

The following are some of the frequently asked questions the program has received. Information sessions and 1:1 application assistance are also available.  

• My business address is my home address, which is located outside of Denver city limits, but I operate a mobile business in the City and County of Denver. Am I still eligible for a grant?
• • A business operating as a mobile business is not eligible for the Construction Stabilization Grant.

• Can I apply for all my businesses if I have more than one location? 
• • Yes, you may apply for all your businesses operating in the specified construction project area(s) and meeting the eligibility criteria. You must complete a separate application for each business location by selecting "Add Another" in the application homepage.
  • The program provides for a maximum of two grants, one each to different legal entities sharing the same business owner. If one legal entity was awarded in one round (same owner) and the other legal entity (same owner) was not awarded, the business may apply in subsequent rounds (if offered) for the one not funded.

• If my business received financial assistance related to COVID, will that affect eligibility? 
• • No. Eligibility is not affected by the receipt of the other grants and loans provided as COVID relief for businesses.

• Are nonprofits eligible for this grant?
• • No, this program is specifically offered to small (for-profit) businesses only. 

• Will there be additional rounds if I miss this one?
• • Additional rounds may be offered as currently specified city-funded construction projects continue and newly designated ones commence. Sign up for the DEDO newsletter to be informed if there is a new round and other business supports. 

• What is the expected timeline for receiving notice of the outcome of my application?
  • You can expect to learn the outcome of your application about three to four weeks after the application round closes.

• If awarded, how long until I receive funds?
  •  Funds are typically deposited within five to ten business days once the awarded business has provided required documentation (W9, bank account information, evidence of current operations, photo ID).

• I am having issues logging in and/or creating a profile in the application portal. How can I fix this? 
• • The online application works best using Google Chrome. Apple products are not optimal devices but technical issues can be resolved by closing the webpage, clearing the cache, and continue using Google Chrome. Additionally, error messages may appear when there are some invalid characters in the email, so be sure there are no spaces before or after the email address. If the email was automatically entered by the browser, delete the email address and manual type it in correctly, to avoid the error.