Denver Offers Business Licensing Hearing Fund

Published on October 02, 2023

For the first time ever, the City and County of Denver is offering reimbursement for legal fees in 2023 associated with participating in a needs and desires public hearing. The goal of this program is to create more inclusive and equitable access to business license applicants and residents who are required or wish to participate in the public hearing process. License applicants in the live entertainment, restaurant, bar, and cannabis industries are encouraged to apply. Neighborhood residents are also encouraged to apply, as they are entitled to voice their support or disapproval for certain license types and can incur legal expenses associated with participating in the hearings.

"The input received from the community is vital information I consider in every new application for a liquor, cabaret, or marijuana license. Lack of access to legal assistance should not be a barrier for residents to have their voice heard about the need and desire for a business to locate in their community," said Molly Duplechian, executive director of the Denver Department of Excise and Licenses. "Additionally, as we continue to take steps to ensure the licensing and public hearing process is inclusive and accessible, this new fund will remove some of the financial barriers for small businesses and support them on their path to generating economic activity."

The Denver Department of Excise and Licenses is administering $150,000 in mini-grants of up to $10,000 per grantee to qualifying applicants and residents who have participated in a needs and desires hearing for a liquor, cabaret, or marijuana license application between Jan. 1, 2023, and Oct. 24, 2023. Applications for the program will be accepted starting tomorrow (Tuesday, Oct. 3). The application deadline for the program is Tuesday, Oct. 24 or when funding is exhausted. Funds will be awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis, so potentially eligible grantees are encouraged to apply early. More information and a link to apply can be found here.

The goal of the fund is to reduce barriers to participation in the public hearing process. The hearing process can be intimidating for community members wanting to provide input on the business trying to locate in their neighborhood as well as small business entrepreneurs applying for a new license. Many applicants and community members seek legal representation to help them understand and achieve their goals at the hearing. The purpose of the Business License Hearing Fund is to make the hearing process more accessible and inclusive for both applicants who are required to participate and residents who desire to participate.

Denver held 199 needs and desires hearings for liquor, cabaret and marijuana business license applications in 2022, and 167 have been held so far in 2023 through Sept. 22. Only liquor, cabaret, and marijuana business licenses in Denver are required to hold a public needs and desires hearing as part of the license application process.