Assistance
Open to Business Consulting
The Open to Business program provides technical assistance and loans to prospective or current entrepreneurs and small business owners to help them succeed. Advisors in the Open to Business program provide free one-on-one counseling to assist with:
- Business plan development
- Feasibility analysis
- Marketing
- Cash flow and financial projection development
- Operational analysis
- Licensing and regulatory assistance
- Loan packaging and financing
- Obtaining legal advice
For those seeking funding, the Open to Business program also offers loans through the Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers (MCCD).
Hennepin County Economic Development Programs
The City of Osseo partners with Hennepin County to help provide businesses with Economic Development resources. Learn more at https://www.hennepin.us/businessassistance
Briefly, available programs include:
Business Recycling Grants - Provides grants, signage, technical assistance and research assistance to help businesses and organizations start or improve recycling programs, reduce waste and donate usable goods. https://www.hennepin.us/businessrecycling
Business District Initiative - As funding permits, provides matching funds to suburban cities for a variety of strategies (i.e. facade improvement, way-finding, streetscape, marketing/branding) that support main street small business districts. In Osseo, construction of the Gateway Sign was supported by a BDI Grant. You can download the evaluation report for the project. Please contact our Administrative Services staff with questions or suggestions for future Business District projects.
Open to Business – Provides matching funds to cities to offer small business technical assistance to the entrepreneur community through the nonprofit Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers (MCCD). http://www.opentobusinessmn.org/
CEO Next Business Institute (formerly Economic Gardening) – Provides technical assistance to companies that have grown beyond the startup phase and need access to information and decision-making tools typically only available to larger companies.The program supports second-stage companies through advanced business and market research, peer and cohort learning, and expert forums. Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, and Dakota counties contract with the Edward Lowe Foundation, who administers the program, to allow qualifying businesses to participate for free.
Transit Oriented Development Program (TOD) – Provides capital funding to assist development-supportive infrastructure projects proximate to priority transit corridors and hubs. Projects are selected through a competitive Request for Proposals RFP) process and must be a recognized redevelopment area and require a supporting City Council resolution before receiving assistance. Please contact our Administrative Services staff with questions or suggestions for future TOD projects.
Hennepin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority offers a wide range of assistance to homeowners, perspective homebuyers, individuals with disabilities, and business owners. Here are just some of the programs that Hennepin County offers:
Minnesota Housing Rehabilitation Loan Program – Assists low-income homeowners in financing basic home improvements that directly affect safety, habitability, energy efficiency or accessibility of their homes.
Minnesota Housing Emergency and Accessibility Loan Program – Assists low-income homeowners in addressing emergency conditions in the home or essential accessibility needs for a disabled resident.
Home Accessibility Ramp Program – Provides financial and technical assistance for the construction of accessibility ramps and/or low-riser stairs for low- and moderate-income disabled homeowners.
Affordable Housing Incentive Fund Program (AHIF) – Provides capital funding to assist in the development of long-term affordable housing units. Projects are selected through a competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) process and require a supporting city council resolution before receiving assistance.
Minnesota Housing Lead and Healthy Homes Loan Program – Deferred loans to assist low- and moderate-income home owners for lead-based paint and healthy homes hazards.
Minnesota Housing Tax Forfeit to Affordable Home Ownership - Gap financing to purchase and rehabilitate a tax forfeited property that is sold to a land trust to sell to a low income homebuyer.
Lead-Safe Rehabilitation Assistance Program - Provides financial assistance to property owners for lead-based paint hazard remediation in housing units serving low- and moderate-income households.
Common Bond Fund Loan Program – Provides long-term, low-interest, fixed asset revenue bond financing for suburban Hennepin County manufacturing and production businesses.
McKinney Vento Homeless Assistance Grants Program - Provides tenant-based rental assistance to low-income households through a third-party provider (Hearth Connection).
Foreclosure Prevention Counseling - Provides foreclosure prevention counseling and outreach services through a third party provider (Minnesota Home Ownership Center).
For information on the above programs or any other Hennepin County assistance program, please visit the County's Housing Assistance or Home Repairs pages, or contact the Hennepin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority:
Hennepin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority
701 4th Ave South, Suite 400
Minneapolis, MN 55415-1843
Phone: 612-348-9260
Email Hennepin County HRA
Homebuyer Assistance
Current residents or people looking to buy a home in Osseo may be eligible for homebuyer assistance.
Community Action Partnership of Hennepin County offers Homebuyer Counseling and Homebuyer Education, among other services.
The Minnesota Housing Finance Agency (MHFA) also provides financing, down payment and/or closing cost assistance. First-time homebuyers in Hennepin County have access to to an affordable start-up loan program and down payment and closing cost loans up to $15,000 through MHFA-approved lenders.
