The City of Portland invites you to apply for the 2019 Cannabis Social Equity Grants!

This is a restorative justice and community reinvestment grant opportunity funded by the City of Portland’s 3% local tax on retail cannabis sales.

There is $700k available for Cannabis Social Equity Grants, which can be used for the following purposes according to Ballot Measure 29-180:

"Support for neighborhood small businesses, especially women-owned and minority-owned businesses, including but not limited to business incubator programs, management training, and job training opportunities; and providing economic opportunity and education to communities disproportionately-impacted by cannabis prohibition."

Of that $700,000, Prosper Portland will administer $210,000 to provide industry support and technical assistance to minority-owned cannabis businesses.

The Cannabis Program, in the Office of Community & Civic Life, will award the remaining $490,000 in a 8 to 10-month grants to “promote small businesses, especially women-owned and minority-owned businesses” and “provide economic opportunity and education to communities disproportionately impacted by cannabis prohibition.”

For this funding opportunity (fiscal year 2018-19), applicants may request funding for projects and programs ranging from $25,000 to $150,000 in the following priority areas:

• Record clearing and expungement
• Workforce development
• Re-entry housing services

If you have experience or expertise in one of the priority areas, foster interconnected communities, and provide multicultural and community-specific engagement, this might be the grant for you!

Non-profit and for-profit entities of any size are encouraged to apply.

You can use this link to download the 2019 Cannabis Social Equity Grants announcement and application, or click here: https://www.portlandoregon.gov/civic/article/728731

The timeline for awarding the $490,000 in grants is as follows:

• April 12, 2019: Grants application process opens
• May 11, 2019: Information Session about grants application process (MORE INFO SOON)
• May 24, 2019: Grants application process closes
• BEYOND MAY 2019: Grant applicants notified of decision; grant agreements drafted and signed; grant agreements to Portland City Council for approval; notice to proceed given to successful applicants; work begins 

Join us for one of our information sessions to learn more:

April 26, 2019  -  10 to 11 am at East Portland Community Office (1017 NE 117th Ave, Portland OR 97220)

May 2, 2019  -  4 to 5 pm at Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods (4815 NE 7th Ave, Portland, OR 97211)

Applications are due Friday, May 24, 2019 by 11:59 pm Pacific

Questions? Please visit portlandoregon.gov/CannabisTax for more information, or contact Cannabis Program Policy Coordinator Kimie Ueoka at 503-823-2094 or email Kimie.Ueoka@portlandoregon.gov