The Minority/Women Entrepreneur Business Assistance Program (MEBA) was created by the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) to retain minority businesses located within blighted communities in the Downtown Community Redevelopment Area of the City of Orlando and to attract new minority-owned businesses to these areas. Many minority-owned businesses have suffered economic injury because of COVID-19.

The purpose of this Policy Update is to allow, for a limited period, from July 6, 2020 to September 6, 2020, MEBA eligible businesses applying for rent subsidy of $6,000 or less as set forth herein to apply with an abbreviated application process including only the items set forth in this Policy Update. The Design Action Plan (DAP), the limitation on the number of MEBA grants allowed per applicant, the 10% business investment requirement, and the quarterly and annual reports of the MEBA Program Guidelines (Dated October 2011) will not apply to grants awarded under this Policy Update. The remaining provisions of the MEBA Program Guidelines not otherwise addressed in this Policy Update will apply to grants awarded under this Policy Update.

Additionally, this Policy Update authorizes the Executive Director of the CRA to execute MEBA agreements on behalf of the CRA for a maximum of $6,000 per applicant for rent subsidy only grants made pursuant to this Policy Update.

At its meeting on June 24, 2020, the CRA Advisory Board recommended that the CRA approve this Policy Update.