With fully one quarter of the money being set aside for licensed child care centers, the State of Michigan has launched another round of funding for the Michigan COVID-19 Safety Grant Program for businesses seeking to protect workers on the job. This round is offering up a total of $2-million in workplace safety grants.
As the economy continues to open back up and employers strive to keep their employees, customers and communities safe from COVID-19, Michigan is rolling out another round of funding for grants to provide small businesses, including eligible childcare centers, matching funds of up to $10,000 to decrease the risk of the coronavirus spread through safety and health-related equipment purchased and training.
The grant application window will be open from today, Monday, June 7th. through Friday, June 18th, with awards given shortly thereafter. Grants received after June 18th, will be held pending a potential third phase, if funds remain available.
Sean Egan, Michigan COVID-19 Workplace Safety Director, says, “Employers need to remain vigilant to ensure workers, customers and communities are safe from COVID-19,” and adds, “We’ve seen success with an earlier round of funding and are confident the additional financial support will help keep Michiganders safe.”
Small employers interested in applying must have fewer than 250 employees, provide a copy of their COVID-19 safety plan, and a description of how funds will help improve workplace safety for employees, customers and their communities. Additional information on grant funding can be found in the program brochure at this link: MI-COVID_Safety_Grant_696403_7
Bart Pickelman, MIOSHA Director says, “These grants support Michigan’s small businesses in efforts to establish safer and healthier work environments,”
Examples of how grant funding may be utilized:
- Purchasing supplies/materials such as sneeze guards, physical barriers, face coverings and hand washing/hygiene stations.
- Purchasing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), including gowns, gloves and eye protection.
- Training to educate employees about the spread and dangers of COVID-19.
The grants are intended to supplement costs of safety mitigation measures put in place by businesses during the height of the pandemic. This is a reimbursement program, and to be eligible for grant funding, goods must have been purchased on or after January 1, 2021.
To apply, businesses need to complete the Michigan COVID-19 Safety Grant application at this link:
https://forms.leo.state.mi.us/miosha-covid-19-safety-grants/
Grants are provided through SB 690 appropriation of federal CARES Act funding and will be awarded until grant funding is expended. Grant awards are limited to one per company. In this round of the safety grant application, a designated $500,000 is available for non-in-home, licensed childcare centers. The remaining portion will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis.
