MARQUETTE — Three Baraga County businesses will share in the more than one hundred thousand dollars in grant money awarded by the Central Upper Peninsula Small Business Support Hub, known as the Hub.

The Hub awarded $105,875 to small businesses across the Upper Peninsula, marking the successful completion of its first direct grant cycle and laying the groundwork for the remaining three cycles to support local entrepreneurs. A total of 26 small business from Delta, Menominee, Alger, Schoolcraft, Marquette and Baraga Counties received grants. The top grant amount of $5,000 was awarded to 10 Businesses.

The Hub is a collaboration of regional economic development organizations that aims to empower small businesses by providing resources, guidance, and funding to foster economic growth in the U.P. Over the course of the Hub’s operations, more than $400,000 will be available in direct grants to businesses that work with their county’s designated Hub Small Business Resource Navigator and participate in at least one Hub program, event or service within six months prior to the award. The first grant cycle saw a diverse range of businesses across the region benefit from this initiative.

The Baraga County businesses that were awarded grant, and the amounts of the grant were; Beartown Beauty LLC $5,000, Ihana Jewelry $4,950 and Smith Holistic Care LLC $3,200.

Beartown Beauty and Ihana Jewelry are both tribal-owned businesses.

“We are very proud to announce this first round of grant awardees,” said Erica Huss, small business Support Hub Project manager. “We’re just getting started with this program. Our goal is to assist as many small businesses as possible through grants and connecting them with local resources.”

The next grant cycle will be open from Jan. 17 through Feb. 14. In preparation for this cycle, interested participants are encouraged to join the Winter 2025 Direct Grant Overview Webinar on Wednesday, Jan. 15, to learn more about the grant and application process. Register for the webinar at bit.ly/Direct-Grant.

About the Hub

In November 2023, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation announced $73 million in grant awards to establish small business support hubs across the state.

A group of local economic development organizations collaborated to apply for funds and were awarded a total of $3,426,015 over three years to set up and operate the Central Upper Peninsula Small Business Support Hub, covering Alger, Baraga, Delta, Dickinson, Marquette, Menominee and Schoolcraft counties.

The Hub is made possible through collaboration with many partners including the Lake Superior Community Partnership, Accelerate U.P., Innovate Marquette SmartZone, Northern Michigan University, Small Business Development Center Upper Peninsula Region, Keweenaw Bay Indian Community and Sault Tribe Thrive.

To learn more about the Hub, visit marquette.org/thehub.