SAUGUS — Saugus has applied for a $400,000 Community Development Block Grant to help lessen the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Town Manager Scott Crabtree announced early last week. 

Offered by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Department of Housing and Community Development, the grant will give Saugus an opportunity to provide assistance to microenterprises — a commercial enterprise that has five or fewer employees, one or more of whom owns the enterprise — to address the effects of the coronavirus crisis on small local businesses. 

“This grant opportunity is another step that the Board of Selectmen and this administration is taking in an attempt to support and prioritize the Saugus business community during these extraordinary challenging … times,” Crabtree said in a statement.  

The announcement was made following a virtual June 3 informational meeting for residents.  

Awarded funds are limited to a maximum of $400,000 per single municipality, and the town may provide grant funding of up to $10,000 per business to qualifying microenterprises adversely impacted by COVID-19. 

“The business community has always been the town’s partner and has been devastated during these times,” Crabtree said. “The town is very grateful to the business community and the commercial taxpayers (along with the residents, and the MSBA) for its substantial contribution in funding for the District-Wide Master Plan Solution, which includes the new 6-12 Middle High School and renovations to the current Belmonte and Veterans Memorial Schools.”  

The Office of Planning and Economic Development will oversee the grant application process in conjunction with the Town Manager’s Office.