The Ogden Downtown Alliance (ODA) is committed to the beautification of the Downtown Corridor. Ogden’s unique, independently-owned small businesses contribute to making this town one-of-a-kind. Periodically, ODA has funding available through grants that can be disbursed to local businesses to help with projects that both beautify the downtown and add to the longevity of existing business structures. 

Ogden Downtown Alliance was recently recognized as the local designee of the Utah Main Street Program in partnership with Main Street America! Learn more about the Utah Main Street Program here. 

Along with this designation, ODA received a $30,000 Downtown Enhancement Grant which is being used to fund our next round of Façade Improvement Grants. For more information on the history of our Façade Improvement Grant, please see the ‘background’ section below. 

The current cycle of the Façade Improvement Grant is open now through August 5, 2022. Each business may apply for up to $5,000 in grant funding. Please note that submitting an application does not guarantee funding. After the application closes in August, a committee will review all submissions and make selections based on the criteria outlined below. Notices will go out to grant recipients by August 31, 2022.

Process

Notices of grant application openings are posted on our social media pages (@OgdenDowntown) and in our business-facing monthly newsletter (Subscribe here). 

Applications received are scored based on overall project impact to the downtown, demonstrated commitment to completion, project location in relation to Make Ogden Master Plan Phasing/Episodes, and are then awarded based on total availability of funds during that grant cycle. 

If you applied in the spring of 2021, applicants from this cycle received notifications of ‘awarded’ or ‘not awarded’ in early June of 2021. If your project is not awarded grant funding from this current 2022 application round, your application will be reconsidered as new funding becomes available and the application cycle reopens. You also are welcome to reapply at any time in the future. 

Again, please note that an application does NOT guarantee funding. 

Background

In 2019, the Ogden Downtown Alliance (ODA) board committed to establishing a grant fund that would utilize 15 percent of annual earned special event income to help downtown businesses. Eligible businesses could apply for up to $5,000 to complete projects that would improve their entrance points and building facades. In addition to funding this 15 percent year over year, ODA has recruited additional funding to support this grant through private donations. In 2020, ODA helped Weber State University’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC) manage a portion of funding from the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) with a city-wide façade grant. Those GOED funds were depleted in June of 2020 and since then ODA has self-funded the Façade Improvement Grant and applicants are now limited to those businesses within the Central Business District boundaries, which is the area ODA’s mission serves.

So far, ODA has awarded more than $45,000 in funds for façade improvements since 2020.

***Please note that an application is not a guarantee of funding.***

Questions? Please contact info@ogdendowntown.com.