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By BRAD COLE, Falmouth Enterprise Small businesses could soon be able to apply for funding through the Economic Development and Industrial Corporation’s small business grant program. “Bottom line is we’re expecting it will go live next week,” EDIC Executive Director Michael DiGiano said on Tuesday, February 9. The EDIC has $160,000 available through the small business grant program. In order to be eligible for a grant, a small business must have five or fewer employees, with the owner making no more than 80 percent of the area median income. Businesses can receive up to $10,000 in grant funding. “Those are grants, and they don’t need to be paid back,” board member Michael B. Galasso said. “They can be used for things such as rent, utilities, the cost of PPE or other things related to COVID-19. It’s a good complement to help our small businesses survive through the winter and be able to reopen during the summer.” The EDIC authorized spending $7,800 to purchase a one-year subscription for Neighborly Software. The program will be used to help administer the grants, allowing applicants to file through an online portal. Falmouth town administration agreed to file a grant amendment to make the $7,800 a reimbursable expense. Mr. Galasso asked how the EDIC will advertise the grant program once the portal goes live. In addition to issuing a press release, Mr. DiGiano said, the EDIC will work with its partners, including the Falmouth Chamber of Commerce and Falmouth Village Association, to inform local businesses about the availability of the grants. The EDIC also has emails for a number of businesses with five or fewer employees, and will send an announcement to those in their database. “Once we’re certain the portal is good and the link is up there and on our website, we will roll that stuff out,” Mr. DiGiano said. Board member Samuel H. Patterson offered to announce the program at a future meeting of the Falmouth Select Board. He recommended the EDIC create a flyer promoting the program. The small business grant program is part of a $320,000 grant distributed by the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development through a block grant program authorized by the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act. The remaining $160,000 in the grant will go to the Falmouth Service Center.