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Minority-Owned Small Businesses in Greater Atlanta Can Now Apply for Back2Business Grants from Fiserv

Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV), a leading global provider of payments and financial services technology solutions on Monday, January 11, will announce it is accepting grant applications from minority-owned small business owners based in the greater Atlanta area as part of its ongoing Back2Business program. The program is designed to help support small, minority-owned businesses that have been negatively impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The Back2Business program connects small businesses with critical resources, including complimentary mentorship, subject matter expertise, and business coaching, technology solutions such as the Clover® point-of-sale platform from Fiserv, and community partners. In conjunction with the Association for Enterprise Opportunity, a leading national nonprofit expanding economic opportunity for Black entrepreneurs through its Tapestry Project, the program includes $10 million in grants, with approximately $1 million designated for Atlanta-area businesses, and up to $10,000 awarded to individual businesses.

In recognition of the importance of supporting the entrepreneurial ecosystem, each grant recipient will also be connected to local networking, support, and resources from Fiserv community partners such as the Metro Atlanta Chamber, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, Atlanta Black Chambers, Russell Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (RCIE), The Village Market Atlanta, and the Atlanta Business League.

Eligible minority-owned businesses can apply for a Fiserv Back2Business Grant at aeoworks.org/Fiserv. Grants can be used to assist with payroll, rent or lease payments, technology or equipment purchases, or premise redesign. Merchants must have revenues of less than $1 million annually, be founded prior to June 1, 2019, and have fewer than 10 employees. Approximately $1 million in grants will be provided to businesses based in Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, Newton, Rockdale, and Spalding counties. Applications will be accepted until grant funds are exhausted.

“Coming off a challenging year, we are committed to helping make 2021 a better one for the small business community, particularly for minority-owned businesses that have been adversely impacted by the pandemic,” said Leslie Pearce, senior vice president, SMB Inside Sales at Fiserv. “We are proud to support local small businesses by providing them with the resources they need to thrive in the new year and beyond.”

Local Merchants Getting Back2Business

In August 2020, Fiserv introduced the Back2Business program nationally, and the company has already presented $10,000 grants to two businesses in the Atlanta area:

  • The Beverly is a restaurant and sports bar in Grant Park and a purveyor of good vibes, American-Caribbean fusion cuisine, entertainment, and local brew. Owned and operated by Mario Johnson, The Beverly is using the grant to help pay for rent and continue investing in its local community.
  • RAGTRADE Atlanta empowers independent fashion and accessory designers by providing programming to support the growth of the fashion community and eCommerce. Owned by Angela Watts, RAGTRADE Atlanta is using its grant to fulfill operating costs, expand service offerings and “pay it forward” by providing other fashion designers with a business grant.

In addition to Atlanta, Fiserv is sponsoring Back2Business Grants in multiple cities where small business communities have been heavily impacted, including Miami, Milwaukee, New York City, Chicago, and Oakland.

Fiserv helps clients deliver solutions in step with the way people live and work today – financial services at the speed of life. Learn more at fiserv.com.

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