AUsABLE FORKS — The town of Jay received a $200,000 Community Development Block Grant from the state Homes and Community Renewal, which will be distributed in smaller grants to small businesses and startups in the town.

The goal of the grant is to drive economic development in the town, said Jay Supervisor Matt Stanley. It will be combined with other grants, including Main Street Technical Assistance grants, to revitalize the area.

“We’re working toward more Main Street grants to increase the appeal of our Main Street in Ausable Forks, and on top of that, we need to have people who want to have businesses in those stores,” he said.

Eligible businesses must have a staff of five people or fewer, including the owner. The grants can range from $5,000 to $35,000. The business has to provide a full-time position to at least one person from a low to moderate-income family.

The funds can be used for various costs related to business operations, including rent, payroll, inventory, furniture or equipment. It cannot be used to finance loans or pay off existing debt. At least half of the grant needs to be recent startups, which are defined as businesses that have been providing goods and services for less than six months.

This timing is part of the challenges of this specific grant program, Stanley said, since new businesses don’t stay new for long. It can be difficult to find businesses that qualify for the program. The town received the grant in June, and they have two years from the award date to find grant recipients and use the funds.

The Essex County Industrial Development Agency applied for the grant on the town’s behalf. Some of the funds will pay for administrative fees for the ECIDA.

Stanley said the town wanted to pursue this grant because it helps business owners directly, whether they own or rent their building. This is in contrast with other Main Street grants which tend to be more targeted toward building owners. The microenterprise grants can help business owners add new products or increase their staff.

“It’s an opportunity to take a gamble on something that they normally wouldn’t take a gamble on if they didn’t have the funds,” Stanley said.

The town held a public meeting about the program last week and hosted a mandatory training session for prospective applicants on Tuesday. Stanley said at least three applicants completed the training.

The grants are first-come-first-serve, and Stanley said there is a chance that they might hold another round of applications in the future if there is still grant funding left. If this is the case, another training will be announced. Anyone interested in applying for a grant can contact the ECIDA at info@essexcountyida.com or 518-873-9114 to be added to the wait list.

The town will also be hosting an Entrepreneurship Night on Tuesday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the community center gym on 11 School Lane, AuSable Forks, in partnership with the Shipley Center for Innovation at Clarkson University.

This will be an opportunity for local business owners and innovators to network and learn about available resources. The event is free, but it is recommended that attendees register at tinyurl.com/JayEntrepNight.