In order to further the goals and objectives of the new Social Equity Grant Program, the Cannabis Regulatory Agency held and posted an education session on its website regarding the newly announced grant program, CRA said in a press release.
The education session covered the criteria required to participate in the Social Equity Grant Program. Entities must:
- Have a valid CRA-issued adult-use license.
- Currently have eligible Social Equity Program participants who have majority ownership of the entity.
- Be a certified participant in the CRA’s Social Equity All-Star Program.
Only one grant will be awarded per qualifying entity, regardless of how many licenses the entity has. Once it is determined how many applicants meet the criteria for approval, then each approved grantee will receive an equal share of the available one million grant dollars. [Example: 100 grantees = $10,000 per grantee.]
As a reminder, Social Equity Grant Program funds must be spent in one or more of the following categories:
- Funds spent on employee education may be used for an employee of the entity to take one or more classes or courses that are relevant to the entity’s business from an accredited institution.
- Funds spent on business needs may be used towards compliance with licensing and regulatory statutes and rules.
- Funds spent on community investment may be used on or donated to organizations, non-profits, and/or charities that positively impact the community in which the entity is located.
The education session also mentioned that the application window for the 2024 Social Equity Grant Program runs through January 26, 2024. The completed grant application must be received by the CRA via email no later than 5:00 pm on January 26, 2024. The application and instructions can be found on the CRA website.
Social Equity Program licensees who are not yet participants in the CRA’s Social Equity All-Star Program should email CRA-SEGrants@michigan.gov for more information on how to participate in the program. This requirement must be met before a complete application will be considered for the Social Equity Grant Program.
The education session is available on the CRA’s website for replay as needed.
Any questions regarding the Social Equity Grant Program should be sent to the CRA’s Social Equity Team via email: CRA-SEGrants@michigan.gov.