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At its May meeting, the Bend Economic Development Advisory Board (BEDAB) reviewed a proposed Small Business Assistance Grant Program presented by staff at the City of Bend. The program is designed to provide direct support to Bend-based small businesses by helping strengthen operational resilience, support workforce stability, invest in modernization and innovation, and improve long-term competitiveness.
The proposal includes funding opportunities for a wide range of business needs, including website and e-commerce upgrades, employee training and credentialing, cybersecurity and operational improvements, business continuity planning, marketing and customer engagement efforts, and strategic growth planning. A portion of the funding is also intended to support climate-related business improvements aligned with the City’s Community Climate Action Plan.
Eligible applicants include private-sector businesses with 50 or fewer employees operating within the City of Bend. Under the framework presented to BEDAB, the advisory board would help review and score applications to ensure funding aligns with community economic development priorities and the real-world needs of local businesses.
The proposed grant program reflects a growing local focus on supporting small business resilience, innovation, and long-term economic vitality—priorities that continue to shape many of the economic development conversations happening across Bend.
