ALX B2B Grant Program (Alexandria Back to Business)

Emergency relief grant program designed to support Alexandria small businesses affected by COVID-19. A total of $3.5 million was distributed to 309 qualifying small businesses in the first round.

Geographic Scope: City of Alexandria, VA (all seven ZIP codes)

Program Background: Funded through federal CARES Act appropriations ($2.4 million from City of Alexandria) and the Alexandria Investment Fund ($2 million), for a total of $4.4 million in local business assistance grants.

Award Amounts (based on business size):

• 76% of recipients: $10,000
• 17% of recipients: $15,000
• 7% of recipients: $20,000

Eligibility Requirements

• Licensed in the City of Alexandria
• Located in the City of Alexandria
• In operation as of March 1, 2019
• For-profit entity
• Business in "good standing"
• Intent to remain in Alexandria
• Business has between 2-100 W2 employees (full-time or part-time)
• Locally owned and operated
• Revenue Loss: Demonstrate 25% or more revenue loss due directly to COVID-19
• Sustainability: Business must be able to recover and remain sustainable post-COVID

Ineligibility Reasons

• Total number of employees outside the 2-100 requirement
• Delinquent city business taxes
• Year-over-year revenue did not decrease by at least 25%
• Located outside the corporate limits of the City of Alexandria

Marketing: Program was promoted in four languages (English, Spanish, Arabic, and Amharic)

Demographic Reach:

• 38% of successful applicants self-reported as Hispanic/Latino, Black/African American, or Asian American
• 9% registered as small, woman-owned, and minority (SWaM) businesses
• 8% reported active duty military service

Application Process

Application Period: Closed (June 4-8, 2020)

Review Process: Applications were reviewed by an independent third-party consultant to determine eligibility.

Next Rounds: AEDP and City of Alexandria planning future rounds. For information on upcoming opportunities, contact AEDP.