Uber teamed up with Visa to announce the recipients for its Grants for Growth program that provided $1 million in funding to small businesses in 10 U.S. cities that are currently active on Uber Eats.
The program was administered by Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). Focused on restaurant recovery and entrepreneurship, the program was created earlier this year as a way to support merchants as they recover from the pandemic.
Through Grants for Growth, 100 merchants received grants of $10,000, which can be used toward immediate needs such as payroll, paying outstanding debt to vendors, upgrading payment technology infrastructure, and other immediate operational costs. In addition to financial support, selected merchants received disaster recovery and resiliency guides from Uber and LISC.
“From labor challenges to supply chain issues, independently-owned businesses have had another trying year, and it’s important to us that Uber Eats support our merchant partners with the resources and tools they need to continue to grow.” said Sarfraz Maredia, VP of US and Canada Delivery at Uber. “With our partners at Visa and LISC, we’re happy to have created a program that’s had such impact and has helped restaurants across the country fund critical investments.”
Among the recipients selected by LISC, 92 percent were entrepreneurs of color, 69 percent were female-owned businesses, and 88 percent of the businesses were in low or moderate-income areas.
“The proceeds of this grant allowed us to survive, said Umber Ahmad, Founder of Mahzedahr Bakery in New York City. “We were able to pay vendors. I was able to pay my team. We were able to keep the doors open and the lights on and I’m very grateful for that.”
Restaurants active on Uber Eats in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington DC, Miami, Detroit, the NYC metro/New Jersey area, the San Francisco Bay Area, Philadelphia, and Boston were eligible to apply for the program. Grant recipients were independently selected by LISC, using criteria to give preference to veteran, minority, women, and LGBTQIA+ business owners.
“Small businesses are a vital part of our local communities and we’re committed to supporting them for the long-term,” said Mary Ann Reilly, CMO of North America, Visa. “Alongside our partners at Uber, we’re honored to support the diverse recipients of this program with resources and capital to help them continue to grow.”
For additional information about Grants for Growth and a list of recipients, visit uber.com/newsroom, https://merchants.ubereats.com/us/en/resources/community/grants-for-growth/.
