New Program Expands Support For Small Business Safety And Recovery

In an effort to help small businesses recover from vandalism and prevent future property damage, the City of Seattle has launched its Back to Business program. Announced last week by Mayor Bruce Harrell and the Seattle Office of Economic Development, the program expands the city’s earlier Storefront Repair Fund to include new grants for preventive safety upgrades and neighborhood-level improvements.

“Every shattered window, broken door, or vandalized storefront isn’t just a repair bill – it’s a real setback for a business owner, an employee’s livelihood, and a neighborhood’s vitality,” said Harrell. “We’re making investments in real solutions because Seattle is open for business, and we will keep it open by fostering a great environment for small businesses. These grants are about more than repairs – they’re about restoring confidence and protecting the vibrancy of the neighborhoods we all love.”

Applications are open through December 2025, or until funding is depleted.

The program offers three forms of support: up to $3,000 per incident to reimburse small business owners for repairs after vandalism or other property damage; up to $6,000 for preventive safety improvements; and targeted neighborhood investments for Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) projects in business districts identified through Seattle Police Department data.

Eligible businesses must provide receipts or proof of expenses for reimbursement, and those applying for security grants must first complete a CPTED assessment with a certified expert to identify strategies for reducing crime risk.

“This critical investment to support small businesses in the midst of ongoing public safety struggles couldn’t be more timely,” said Seattle City Council President Sara Nelson. “The successful Storefront Repair Fund was an idea that came out of my second committee meeting in February 2022, and after three successful rounds, I’m thrilled we’re building on that work by including funding this time to prevent vandalism as well.”

Between 2022 and 2024, the Storefront Repair Fund provided $1.85 million in federal relief funding to help more than 600 businesses fix property damage caused by break-ins and other incidents. The new Back to Business program expands that scope to include prevention as well as recovery.

“Our small businesses define our city’s character — they shape our neighborhoods, power our economy, and reflect and enhance our culture. But our small businesses are at a tipping point for survival in Seattle for multiple reasons from rising costs to public safety issues,” said Seattle Office of Economic Development Director Markham McIntyre. “The City needs to act to ensure small businesses survive and thrive, which is exactly what we are doing by launching this new Back to Business fund to make investments in our small businesses and improve public safety.”

Small business owners say the grants address a pressing financial gap.

“The Storefront Improvement fund is about more than just ‘storefronts’ as we know them,” said Jen Osborn, owner of Paratex. “Thousands of small businesses throughout Seattle—services, trades, cafes, and shops—are struggling with rising costs of insurance, product inflation, staffing, fees, and tariffs. The extra expenses for security, graffiti removal, or a broken window repair are becoming unsustainable. Small city grants for these costs can really help, showing that Seattle values how vital small businesses are to the vibrancy and culture of the city.”

“With public safety and public health continuing to be at the forefront of conversations in and around Seattle, the Back to Business fund provides business owners with the funding to proactively deter crime and reactively respond with efficiency when incidents do happen,” said Jen Carl, Capitol Hill Neighborhood Safety Coordinator for GSBA. “This opportunity is vital for small businesses to keep their buildings, staff, and customers safe and secure, allowing them to focus instead on what makes them and our city so vibrant.”

More information on eligibility, documentation, and applications is available at the Seattle Office of Economic Development’s Back to Business webpage or by contacting the office directly.