• Program announces $500,000 in cash grants to first 13 awardees since January of 2020;  37 Motor City Match (MCM) businesses have opened their doors over past two years
• Quarterly grant awards expected to expand soon, thanks to city’s share of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds
• After 18 Rounds, MCM has awarded $8.6M in cash grants, 81 percent of overall winners are minority-owned businesses and 71 percent women-owned
• 130 operating brick-and-mortar businesses have opened, 47 more under construction
• MCM Round 18 awarded businesses in several tracks, including Cash, Design, Develop and Plan

JAN. 26, 2022 (DETROIT) – The Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DEGC) and Mayor Mike Duggan today announced the first round of awards since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to aspiring entrepreneurs through the popular and successful Motor City Match (MCM) program.

A total of 63 winners were announced and will be receiving various forms of support from MCM, including cash grants or technical support with design, development or planning.  Thirteen of today’s Round 18 business owners received cash grants totaling $500,000.

Motor City Match, which is celebrating its first round of awards since January 2020, has continued to support businesses throughout the pandemic, offering workshops and business services, and facilitating additional grant and loan support. Over the past two years, 37 MCM awarded businesses have opened their doors with an additional 10 businesses expected to open before summer of this year.

“Motor City Match continues to help Detroit entrepreneurs strike new pathways toward success and economic mobility,” said Kevin Johnson, DEGC President and CEO. “Considering the challenges presented by COVID-19, it is more critical than ever that we support a strong small business community and thriving neighborhood corridors that can serve the needs of all Detroiters.”

MCM Round 18 awardees represent a wide range of businesses that are vital to Detroit neighborhoods throughout the city. Since 2020, the program has refocused its operations to meet the changing needs of businesses in a post-pandemic environment. This includes a focus on loan readiness, an emphasis on getting new businesses transactional as quickly as possible and shortening the application and evaluation timeline. Additionally, the program is set to expand both the number of grants and total grant pool in coming rounds. This expansion will allow the program to reach more Detroiters with the goods and services they need in their neighborhoods.

Motor City Match continues to grow Detroit’s small-business landscape
Combined with its other small business programming, DEGC is creating a sustainable small business environment that nurtures new concepts and ideas. MCM offers business owners a wide range of assistance in four tracks: Plan, Develop, Design, and Cash. The program helps Detroit entrepreneurs plan, formalize, and launch their business by providing business planning classes, site-selection assistance, financial planning, legal aid, design services, and gap funding.

Through 18 rounds of Motor City Match:

• 1,481 total business have been served
• Total cash grants: $8.6 million (Total leveraged investment: $47 million)
• Total business open: 130
• Total businesses under construction: 47
• 87 percent are minority-owned businesses
• 79 percent are women-owned businesses
• 81 percent are businesses owned by Detroit residents

“Motor City Match is an important tool to help Detroiters use entrepreneurship to grow their incomes, build wealth, and create jobs,” said Drew Lucco, MCM Program Director. “The program connects business owners to a growing network of support, offers vital business services, and maps out the path from idea to open. Motor City Match is proud to continue supporting Detroit’s small business community as it grows and prospers.”

Mayor to seek funds to expand MCM grant amounts

Since it was first launched in 2015 and up until the pandemic, Motor City Match has awarded up to $500,000 in grants each quarter. As part of its plan to support small business growth in Detroit, Mayor Duggan said that his administration plans to submit a proposal soon to city council, seeking its approval to use American Rescue Plan Act funds to significantly increase the grant funding available in each round of the program.

“No program in the country has the impact that Motor City Match does in creating a new generation of entrepreneurs, and the demand is only growing,” said Mayor Mike Duggan. “During the nearly 70 community meetings we had on how to spend our share of ARPA funds, supporting small businesses in Detroit was something we heard from a lot of people, and so we included it in our plan.”

Once the proposal is approved, the added grants will start to be awarded through the program’s next round, based on existing interest and number of eligible applications, Duggan said.

About Motor City Match

Motor City Match is a unique partnership between the City of Detroit, the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DEGC), the Economic Development Corporation of the City of Detroit (EDC) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Competitive financial assistance is supported by a broad partnership of Southeast Michigan community development financial institutions and corporations, including Bank of America, Fifth Third Bank, Ford Foundation, Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Foundation, Hudson Webber Foundation, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Knight Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, New Economy Initiative, and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Motor City Match applications are available quarterly. More information is available at MotorCityMatch.com

Motor City Match Round 18 Cash Awardees

• Joyola Mei Hair – $25,000
  • Salon with a focus on eco-luxury
  • 1432 Michigan Ave.
• Fork in Nigeria – $30,000
  • Food truck, catering company, and restaurant offering Nigerian eats
  • 4219 Woodward Ave.
• Mature – $30,000
  • Premium menswear clothier
  • 3011 West Grand Blvd.
• Detroit Dance Center – $35,000
  • Ballet, tap, jazz, and hip hop dance training for ages two and up
  • 831 Selden St.
• Supreme Cafe – $35,000
  • Café serving all-natural, organic, and gourmet food
  • 1811 Wyoming Ave.
• RAMP Detroit – $35,000
  • Sport performance center
  • 4849 Canyon St.
• The Sandwich Lobby – $35,000
  • Family-based company selling a variety of soups, sandwiches, and baked potatoes
  • 10630 Morang Ave.
• Dulce Café and Bakery – $40,000
  • Bakery serving gourmet sandwiches, custom salads, cakes and pastries
  • 17233 Mack Ave.
• Welcome Home Yoga & Wellness – $40,000
  • Neighborhood yoga, meditation, and community gathering space
  • 6375 W. Seven Mile  Rd.
• Hooked on Books Child Care – $40,000
  • Group in-home care service (ages ranging from six weeks to eight years)
  • 24532 W. McNichols Rd.
• Lily’s & Elise – $45,000
  • Tea café specializing in small bites, pastries, and craft cocktails
  • 19037 Livernois Ave.
• Breadless Corporation – $50,000
  • Sandwich shop for breadless eaters
  • 2761 E. Jefferson Ave.
• Detroit Soul– $60,000
  • Restaurant and catering service with a healthier approach to soul food
  • 14300 E. Jefferson Ave.

Motor City Match Round 18 Design Awardees

• Naturally FLYY Detroit
  • 17337 Lahser Rd.
• Motor City House of Stone
  • 8311 Collingwood St.
• Lovin’ Touch Learning Center
  • 2470 Collingwood St.
• Adelaide’s Market
  • 13880 Joseph Campau Ave.
• Forris Enterprises DBA Baby University
  • 4141 Mitchell St.
• Third Place Winner, LLC (dba Bronze)
  • 1452 W. Alexandrine St.
• Hope for Flowers
  • 119 Garfield Ave.
• Sister Pie Headquarters
  • 1415 Parker St.
• Great Lakes Property Management Group, LLC
  • 10321 Puritan Ave.
• Paradise Deli and Marketplace
  • 4731 Grand River Ave.

 Motor City Match Round 18 Develop Awardees

• Little Blessings Learning House
• AZA Beverages
• Bamboo Beauty, LLC
• Black Diamond Beauty Supply Co. LLC
• Boblife Films Company, LLC
• Braids by Briiee, LLC
• Byron D. Brooks Enterprise, LLC
• Canvas on Scene
• Cascade and Monroe
• Consistent Health and Wellness
• ForHerCosmetics
• J. McCray Style, LLC
• Joy of Nails LLC
• Luffy’s Kitchen
• Mahatma Candles, LLC
• My Secret Boutique (dba Robin Renee Detroit)
• Our Party Could Be Your Life (dba Haute to Death)
• Premier Contractors of Michigan, LLC
• SMC Collections, LLC
• Sunny Solutions, LLC
• Tasty Fixin’s Catering, LLC
• Tha Eccentric Style, LLC
• The Bag Lady Detroit
• V&L’s Soul Food Restaurant
• Thumbprint Fulfillment

Motor City Match Round 18 Plan Awardees

• Abigail School of Dance, LLC
• Balanced Spa
• Better Miles Food Truck
• Cleodii Vlhjen LLC
• Cooper Irby Brewster Professional Services LLC
• Creole Soul Detroit
• Detroit Boujie Burgers
• Minds That Wonder LLC
• Ms Wilkins Place Community Thrift Store
• The Great Divine Center LLC
• Timmor’s Tempting Treatz
• Triad Services/Cygnus Syrups
• Verdure Freshe LLC
• Walter Pat’s Bakery Café
• Zippy’s Coffee