Concert venues affected by COVID awarded $3.5 million in grants

The Michigan Strategic Fund Board on Thursday approved $3.5 million in grant funding for Michigan's live music and entertainment venues, offering financial relief for clubs and concert halls negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Individual venues are eligible for up to $40,000 in funding. In order to qualify, venues must have received at least 33% of its 2019 gross revenues from the sale of tickets for live music or entertainment events, or at least 70% of its earned revenue through cover charges or tickets sales, production fees or production reimbursements, nonprofit educational initiatives, or the sale of beverages, food or merchandise at events. 

Applications will be taken from 9 a.m. Jan. 21 to noon Jan. 28 at michiganbusiness.org/stages and will be considered in full after the window of eligibility closes, rather than on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Michigan Independent Venue and Promoter Association will process applications and determine funding. Funds are expected to be allocated beginning later this month and will dispersed by Feb. 28.

Additionally, $55 million in state funding was awarded Thursday to small businesses that have faced hardship due to Michigan's COVID-19 protective orders. Individual businesses are eligible for between $15,000 and $20,000 in funding to help cover payroll, rent, and various other business costs, and can apply from 9 a.m. Jan. 19 to noon Jan. 22 at michiganbusines.org/survival. 

The two programs are among the nearly two dozen COVID relief programs implemented by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, which have provided more than $240 million in pandemic relief funding to businesses across Michigan.