eBay expands financial, educational assistance for small sellers
2020 continues to be the year of the small seller on eBay.
The e-commerce platform is introducing a new grants program, “Up & Running Grants,” focused on helping small businesses stay up and running online. This offering follows the August pilot of a personal loan program aimed at small sellers, as well as recent launches of the BULQ platform for small sellers to resell excess inventory from large retailers and a dedicated Pinterest page for small retailers.
The Up & Running Grants commit more than $500,000 in funding and education resources for existing business sellers to secure viability beyond 2020. It will offer 50 small business sellers a $10,000 grant package each. The grants include $8,000 cash and $2,000 worth of eBay credits.
In addition, recipients will also receive premium access to Seller School, a new virtual learning platform offering on-demand lessons, videos and more to help eBay sellers; and direct training and coaching from expert sellers and eBay growth advisors. eBay is partnering with business accelerator Hello Alice to launch the grants program application and to provide access to mentorship and resources to all sellers who apply, whether they are ultimately chosen for a grant or not.
"Small businesses are the backbone of eBay, as well as the engine of jobs, progress, and prosperity for communities across the U.S.,” said Jordan Sweetnam, GM and senior VP, eBay North America. “The launch of eBay's Up & Running Grants program comes at a time when small businesses need investment and empowerment most. In such a challenging year, it was important for this program to provide a financial bridge and long-term support - so small businesses can keep their doors open today and lay the groundwork for future success."
From Monday, Nov. 23, through Friday, Dec. 11, 2020, eBay small business sellers can apply for Up & Running grants via an online application. Business sellers will be asked to share details of their small business and how they plan to use the grant to accelerate their growth. eBay is looking to identify sellers who represent a diverse range of backgrounds, bring their unique experiences and inventory to the marketplace, and are committed to their communities and the eBay ecosystem.