Detroit Legacy Business Project

The Detroit Legacy Business Project defines a legacy business as an independently owned and operated business headquartered and open to the public in the city of Detroit for 30 years that has impacted the culture of the city through its products, services, and communal reputation. Proof of legacy may include Articles or Organization, income and property taxes, business acquisition and owner transfer documents, and media coverage.

Program Guidelines

The Detroit Legacy Business Fund’s pilot program provides funding to small businesses who meet the program definition of a “legacy business” on a reimbursement or pre-paid basis for an allowable use.  

2 grants will be provided to each of Detroit’s seven council districts, in addition to 2 at-large grants for the entire city (16 in total). A points-based application will be made available to the public that will provide an assessment of four areas that, together, total 100 points:  
Legacy Business Track Record (25 Points), Social & Cultural Contribution (40 Points),
Product & Service Retention (10 Points), and Grant Use and Project Description (25 points).

In each council district, 4 finalists will be chosen based upon score, supporting documents, and eligibility for its two grant awards. In addition, through a separate City-wide application, 4 finalists will be chosen at large for 2 city-wide grants.  From this pool of 32 finalists, 16 grant recipients will be selected based upon in-person site visit evaluations of the projects.

Apply to $15,000 District-level grant
Apply to $50,000 Citywide grant

Which businesses are eligible for financial and technical assistance?

• Eligible business types
  • For-profit Sole Proprietorships 
  • General Partnerships 
  • Limited Partnerships (LP) 
  • Limited Liability Partnerships (LLP) 
  • Corporations (Inc., Corp.) 
  • Limited Liability Companies (LLC) 
  • Low-profit Limited Liability Company (LC3) 
  • Faith-based organizations, subject to 24 CFR § 570.200(j), participating in registered and licensed for-profit commercial activity 
  • Independently owned businesses that participate in retailers’ cooperatives are eligible to apply 
  • A Nonprofit enterprise that sells a product or service to the public or other companies. Product or service has to have been sold for the last 30 years
• Ineligible
  • Past Detroit Legacy Business Project Grant Recipients 
  • Charitable Non-Profits 
  • Home-based businesses 
  • Ecommerce businesses without a public commercial location 
  • Franchisors and Franchisees 
  • Businesses headquartered outside of the city of Detroit

Allowable Financial Assistance Reimbursement Grant Uses 

• Product inventory, equipment & machinery, furniture, fixtures, and interior decor 
• Software subscriptions (technology) 
• Building repairs and renovations 
• Façade improvement (signing and exterior beautification) 
• Professional services 
  • Logo (re)design, website design, publicity content creation, advertisement placement fees 
  • Communications (including but not limited to marketing, advertising, publicity, and brand strategy) 
  • Financial (including but not limited to debt consolidation and restructuring, fundraising, loan application assistance and filing, and Accounting and bookkeeping, and tax preparation) 
  • Legal (including but not limited to trademarks, patent filings, ownership transfer, property acquisition) 
  • Architectural and structural engineering 
  • Business consulting (including but not limited to certification and permit filings, grant writing and submission, and process mapping) 
  • Training and professional development 

Disallowed uses: 

• City taxes and delinquencies 
• Federal taxes and delinquency 
• State taxes and delinquencies (excluding sales taxes) 
• Rent and rent stabilization 
• Mortgage fees and interest 
• Payroll and salary 
• Debt-servicing 
• Shareholder dividends or owner withdrawals 
• Financial products (stocks, bonds, equities, etc) 
• Real estate property purchase 
• Expenses made prior to DEGA grant approval

Program Guidelines

• Itemized Project budget 
• Bids, Permits, Price Quotes, and Architectural drawings relevant to budget items 
  • Failure to provide an itemized project budget with the relevant expense estimates, detailed construction bids, stamped architectural drawings by an architect licensed in the State of Michigan, or construction permits will disqualify a grant application from additional consideration. 
• Certificate of Compliance, City of Detroit 
• Business License , City of Detroit
• Business and Business Owner Tax Clearance, City of Detroit
• Current Deed, Land Contract, lease agreement or some other proof of regular occupancy or operation for the business location 
• Payroll tax form to verify number of W2 employees 
• Proof of Product/Service Sales (Nonprofit applicants only)

• The initial grant applications open on November 21, 2024
• Applications will close on December 23, 2024 at 8:00 am 
• Finalists will be selected by January 21, 2025 
• Awardees will be publicly announced on February 21, 2025 

Make sure to provide correct contact information (email and phone number) in your application for future follow up.

You can apply here for the $15,000 District-level grant and here for the $50,000 Citywide grant.

Email your questions and concerns to [email protected]

Business Support Programming provided to legacy business owners will consist of training seminars, compliance and resolution meetings with City of Detroit departments, one-on-one consulting, and outbound service referrals to external business resources. Business support may be restricted to eligible businesses who applied to the initial round of grant funding. 

• In-person and virtual training seminars will be taught by qualified DEGA staff, City of Detroit staff, and partner organizations. 
• City of Detroit compliance and resolution meetings will be facilitated by DEGA staff and relevant City of Detroit Department representatives. 
• Outbound referrals will be logged, initiated and tracked by DEGA staff

The Detroit Legacy Business Registry is the first official database of businesses in Detroit that have been open to the general public in a commercial location for 30 or more years. This registry is designed to: 

• Increase public awareness of your company’s geographic location, product and service offerings, and basic history through our legacy business map 
• Connect legacy businesses to future commercial opportunities

 Your business may register for this registry through this intake form. All submissions are subject to review and edits by the project’s team.