YOUNGSTOWN – The city’s board of control emptied the $200,000 in the Small Business Boost Program’s coffers by awarding the money to 20 businesses.

“We had to close down the application process a week or two after we started it because we had so many applicants,” said Nikki Posterli, director of the city’s community planning and economic development department and the mayor’s chief of staff.

“The need was so great.”

The board of control on Thursday approved funding for the 20 companies, including six that received the $15,000 maximum amount.

The funding came from the city’s business development fund.

There are no plans right now to add more money to the program, Posterli said.

City council on April 3 authorized legislation to create the Small Business Boost Program and put $200,000 into it.

The program was administered by International Development Group Inc. – run by Carmella Williams, the city’s minority outreach coordinator — for $10,000.

To be eligible, a business had to be for-profit and privately owned. It couldn’t be a bank, credit union, adult entertainment establishment or franchised business not locally owned and independently operated.

Those receiving the funding were selected by a committee, Posterli said.

The city received federal COVID-19 funds to help small businesses, but the provisions from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development were restrictive making it difficult to get the money to those that need it, Posterli said.

The Small Business Boost Program money will be used to meet payroll, mortgage and rent obligations, equipment purchases and marketing assistance.

Those getting the $15,000 maximum grants, approved Thursday by the board of control, were: Build Your Own Breakfast LLC, Unpainted Arizona LLC, YoGo Bikeshare LLC, DOPE Brands LLC, Savannah Joe’s LLC and McRoyal Industries Inc.

Getting $12,000 grants were Full Faith Moving Services LLC and Jaxstubbs LLC.

HH Brothers Enterprises LLC got $11,000, Kickdrum Entertainment LLC received $10,000 and Avalon Downtown LLC got $9,000.

Five businesses each received $7,500 grants — Centro Tre LLC, Bistro 1907 Ltd., ATAP Records LLC, Santa Rosa LLC and Noble Creature Cask House LLC.

Coze Coffee Bar LLC received $6,000, and Yo! Crash LLC and DOVE Holdings LLC got $5,000 each.

G’s Chop Shop got $2,500.