The Harbert Management Corporation (HMC) has committed $1 million to support small businesses in the Birmingham area, and the application process for the funds opens on Monday, April 20.

A release from the company says the goal of the program is to “enable qualifying local small businesses to continue their operations and service to the greater Birmingham community during this difficult time.”

The money is being dispensed through the Harbert Employees Reaching Out (HERO) charity, but the entirety of the finances for the project are being contributed directly by HMC itself.

The application form on the fund’s website indicates that the maximum grant given to a business will be $25,000. The application also asks for evidence of revenue lost due to COVID-19.

“As a longtime Birmingham-based business, we are so grateful to be a part of this wonderful community and we want to support our local small businesses and their employees in this time of great need,” said John Harbert, an executive at HMC who will be overseeing the initiative.

The HERO charitable foundation, which is housing the new relief fund, was created in 1998 to assist Birminham-area citizens who were experiencing hard times.

John Harbert believes that the new small business assistance program is “logical extension of HERO’s existing individual grant program expanded to include small businesses in order to respond to this unprecedented emergency.”

Business owners interested in applying for one of the grants can do so at Harbert’s website.

Henry Thornton is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can contact him by email: henry@new-yhn.local or on Twitter @HenryThornton95