Rock Solid Grant Program

Rock Solid Grant Program

Funder: Nantucket Island Chamber of Commerce (administered by the Chamber)

Funding Source: The Town of Nantucket and Remain

Geographic Scope: Nantucket, Massachusetts

Purpose: Provide funds to Nantucket-based small businesses to ensure their contribution toward a strong local economy. Grants are intended to launch or grow businesses.

Eligibility:

Eligible Use of Grant Proceeds

• Upgrading point of purchase or inventory management technology/systems
• Establishment of new points of sale such as e-commerce, or new services such as off-premise consumption
• Purchase of equipment that will enable more efficient manufacturing/production
• Purchase of equipment or technology, or other innovative ways to offset seasonal staffing challenges
• Innovations that reduce the businesses reliance on goods/products that contribute to island waste
• Critical startup needs such as legal entity selection and filings, patents/IP protection, accounting setup, corporate website development, or target market research
• Market research and prototyping of a new product/service
• Tuition assistance for professional development and training programs to enhance business operations
• Participation expenses to attend tradeshows or national competitions that will raise visibility for the business's products/services beyond Nantucket

Ineligible Use of Grant Proceeds

• Paying off existing debt or projects initiated prior to this grant cycle
• Deposits for property lease or purchase
• Standard operating expenses such as payroll, rent, utilities, basic goods/services/supplies
• Standard advertising and marketing initiatives

Important Information

• Grant funds will not be awarded until an approved project plan, expense reimbursement form, and supporting purchase orders or receipts are submitted
• Funds are not distributed in advance
• Unused grant funds will be retained by the Rock Solid Fund and used for future rounds

Contact: jacqueline@nantucketchamber.org