Today, Comcast announced the return of their Comcast RISE (Representation, Investment, Strength, and Empowerment) program to Philadelphia, opening a new round of grants to be awarded to small businesses within the city.

This year, they will award 100 of these small businesses a $5,000 grant, as well as a makeover service targeting their creative production, media schedule, and technology. The grant will also come with business consultation services and educational resources for business owners.

Breaking down the grant package, awarded businesses will receive assessments of their practices, receive business to business coaching and mentoring, and planning advice on growing their business.

Comcast will also provide these businesses with a 30-second TV commercial, a 180-day media placement schedule, and the support of a media strategy consultant. Educational content is tailored on a case by case basis for each individual company.

To date, Comcast has awarded over $2 million in grants to 200 local small businesses in the city. Philadelphia is one of five cities selected to be awarded grant packages, the others being Baltimore, Detroit, Memphis, and Portland, awarding a total of 500 businesses.

“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and are essential to building strong and thriving local communities,” said SVP and Chief Diversity Officer at Comcast, Loren Hudson, in a statement.

“As small businesses transition from pandemic recovery to a focus on expansion and growth, Comcast RISE is proud to help strengthen and empower these deserving businesses and entrepreneurs,” Hudson continued.

Created in November 2020, Comcast RISE began as a way to bolster small businesses struggling in the COVID-19 pandemic. Over time, the program has been evolving to focus on growing small businesses and their communities while advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as community investment.

From June 1 to June 30, applications for eligible businesses can be done through the Comcast RISE website, with grants being announced in August and awarded in September 2023. This year will bring the total number of recipients up to 13,500.