eBay have announced the 50 recipients of their Up & Running Grants initiative that was announced in November 2020 in partnership with business accelerator Hello Alice. Fifty sellers from across the U.S. have been selected to each receive grant packages, inclusive of $10,000 in funding and education resources.
According to eBay the grants are part of their long-standing commitment to help small businesses and the global program began as an accelerator to help Main Street retailers get online and thrive, despite the pandemic. More than 13,500 applications were recieved and following a comprehensive review, 50 sellers were chosen to each receive $8,000 in cash and $2,000 worth of eBay credits, along with premium access to Seller School — eBay’s new e-learning platform — and direct training and coaching.
Of the 13,500 applications, 89% said COVID-19 had impacted their business. About 12% of applicants had to close their office or storefront and 18% had to furlough employees, while 9% of applicants admitted to starting a new business during the pandemic.
“There were so many incredible applicants across a wide range of backgrounds. Some were forced to close their brick and mortar operations while others found their supply chains impacted — all encountered barriers.”
“But, we were also able to find so many inspirational stories: sellers who are persevering despite the challenges and bringing unique inventory to eBay. Under difficult circumstances, these recipients remain committed to learning and growing their online businesses.”
– Andrea Stairs, VP, Seller Community
Free small business seller support
All small business seller Up & Running applicants will be encouraged to take advantage of the free courses available through eBay Seller School and to join the eBay Community for additional support.Through Hello Alice, all applicants will be enrolled in an online community of similar businesses for peer-to-peer networking and will also have access to their COVID-19 Business Center.
