In a move to support small businesses, eBay is extending its Up & Running grants program for another year.
The company announced that the expansion includes another 50 businesses in the United States that will receive $10,000 grant packages. The Up & Running Grants represent a more than $500,000 annual commitment in funding and education resources to support the growth and success of existing small businesses on eBay, the company stated.
The inaugural grants program covered 50 small businesses across the U.S. and provided money, tools, education and resources to give them a boost during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a survey of 2020 grant recipients, almost 90% of respondents said the grant was extremely helpful to their business staying up and running and even growing online during the pandemic, eBay noted, with 94% saying the grant was extremely helpful in assisting their business to better manage and plan for the future.
Now, eBay is encouraging small business sellers to apply for Up & Running Grants via an online application, open through Friday, September 3 at https://ebay.helloalice.com.
In announcing the Up & Running Grants expansion, Andrea Stairs, eBay chief marketing officer and vp/seller community, said, “Small businesses power our economy, our communities and eBay’s marketplace. These businesses bring the rich and unique inventory that makes eBay one of the world’s most vibrant e-commerce destinations. As the home of small businesses, with hundreds of thousands of small businesses, accounting for the majority of our annual gross merchandise sales, we feel a deep sense of responsibility to our eBay small business community. Continuing our Up & Running Grants program is part of eBay’s steadfast commitment in supporting and empowering our small business sellers through the relentless challenges brought on by the global pandemic.”
