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COVID19 RESOURCE HUB

Small-Business Grants For Companies Hit by Covid-19

October 2nd, 2020

Here are the grant programs that could help keep your business afloat during the coronavirus crisis.

Keeping track of all the relief programs for companies that are struggling due to the coronavirus crisis can feel like a full-time job. While portions of the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program and Payroll Protection Program (PPP) loans can be forgiven and converted to grants, there are also plenty of other small-business grants available for entrepreneurs, some of which are provided by state and local governments.

Here is a list of states, cities, counties, and corporations providing grants for small businesses.

  • Google is offering $340 million in advertising grants for small- and medium-sized businesses, a credit that will be added automatically to Google Ads accounts. 
  • GoFundMe has partnered with Intuit QuickBooks, Yelp, GoDaddy, and Bill.com to give small businesses a $500 grant if they raise at least $500 on GoFundMe. 
  • In partnership with Verizon, the digital fundraising and advocacy platform Hello Alice is offering emergency grants of up to $10,000 for companies impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. The application period ends on September 25.
  • MDCalc has set aside $1 million in advertising grants for companies helping to respond to the coronavirus, in partnership with New York City Health Business Leaders. Grants will be allocated on a rolling basis.

State Grants 

  • The Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) website features a state tracker of financial incentive programs across the country, updated twice a year.
  • Illinois’ Department of Commerce is providing businesses not located within the Chicago area, through the Downstate Small Business Stabilization Program, grants of 60 days of working capital up to $25,000. This is available for businesses that employ 50 people or fewer.
  • Indiana businesses, through $30 million in CARES Act funding, can apply for grants of up to $2,500 for each month the business can show a loss of revenue of at least 40% or up to $5,000 for each month the business can show a revenue loss of up to 80%. The maximum amount is $10,000 per company, which must have been profitable in 2019, fewer than 50 employees, and less than $5 million in 2019 revenue. 
  • Montana businesses have access to a variety of grant program options. 
  • Pennsylvania businesses can apply for $200 million in two different grant programs for damage related to or costs incurred by coronavirus-era closures and adaptation. The applications are available through certified CDFIs. $100 million is set aside for businesses owned by socially or economically disadvantaged individuals.
  • Texas small business owners can apply for micro-grants from the Texas Black Expo.
  • Virginia entrepreneur Pete Synder is offering emergency funding for businesses that employ three to 30 people and have been operating for at least a year. You are not required to pay back the “loan” unless you would like to later “pay it forward” to another Virginia-area business to whom the funds will then be disbursed.

City Grants 

  • Boca Raton is offering one-time $5,000 grants to restaurants, retail businesses with no more than 25 employees who closed fully or partially because of the coronavirus and who did not receive any government aid, such as PPP or CARES Act funding. The money can only be used for payroll, rent, utilities, and PPE.
  • Champaign, Illinois businesses with fewer than 50 employees owned by low or moderate-income persons or who promise to retain a job for a low or moderate-income position can apply for a grant of up to $15,000.  
  • Emporia, Kansas retailers, restaurants, bars, service-based businesses, and event centers with fewer than 100 employees can apply for relief grants from Emporia Main Street.  
  • Fitchburg, Massachusetts allocated $100,000 for $2,500 grants for small businesses, particularly ones hardest-hit by the coronavirus. Applications are available here.
  • Holyoke, Massachusetts is offering grants of at least $1,000 to businesses with fewer than 500 employees that can use it to continue paying employees, among other requirements.
  • Lathrop, California businesses with between three and 20 employees that are not real estate, liquor, cannabis, and a few other verticals can apply for grants of up to $5,000.
  • Middletown, Connecticut businesses can apply for grants of up to $5,000 for the purpose of maintaining operations and paying employees. Applicants must be owned by someone of a low or moderate income household, or employ people who make low or moderate incomes. The assistance must ensure that a person with low or moderate-income stays employed for one year after the business accepts the grant. 
  • This list of Oregon cities providing grants for small businesses is updated regularly.
  • Phoenix, Arizona businesses with no more than 25 employees and $3 million in gross total sales between January 1, 2019, and December 31, 2019, that lost at least 25 percent of revenue because of the coronavirus can apply for a grant of up to $10,000. They must be located in a low-income census tract or on a street bordering one, among other qualifications. “Local microbusinesses, solo practitioners, and entrepreneurs” in Phoenix can apply for a grant of up to $5,000 if they have five employees or fewer and lost 25 percent of their sales due to the pandemic, with a few other requirements. 
  • Rome, Georgia businesses with up to 50 employees that are not home-based and lost at least 30 percent of their revenue due to the coronavirus can apply for grants of up to $5,000.
  • Santa Clara, California is offering grants of up to $10,000 to non-essential businesses with 25 employees or fewer that have been in business for at least a year as of March 1 and are not chains. 
  • Businesses within the South Lake Union (SLU) neighborhood of Seattle can apply for emergency relief grants from the SLU Chamber of Commerce.
  • Wilmington, Delaware businesses can apply for grants of up to $1,000 until funds run out if they are not AirBnBs, corporate or franchised establishments, check-cashing businesses, or property management or insurance companies. You cannot apply for funds for more than two locations and must make less than $1 million in revenue. 

County Grants

  • Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach County independently owned restaurants and bars can apply for a relief fund from The Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival presented by Capital One. According to the website, the grant application will open up soon. 
  • Businesses in certain Kentucky counties can apply grants of up to $3,000 from The College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, in particular restaurants or “experience retail” businesses.
  • Honolulu County, Hawaii businesses with a physical location, less than $2,000,000 in revenue, and 50 or fewer employees can apply for grants in the form of reimbursements for purchasing protective equipment and for emergency closures due to the pandemic. 
  • Kokua Maui County, Hawaii businesses with physical locations with less than $2 million in revenue that is not agricultural or short term rentals, among other sectors, can apply for up to $7,500 to reimburse expenses like rent, safety equipment, and utilities.  
  • San Joaquin County, California is offering a PPE procurement grant for any size business.
  • Seminole County, Florida businesses with up to 50 employees can apply for three tiers of grants of up to $15,000. Ten million is available from CARES Act funding and focuses on businesses negatively impacted by the pandemic. 
  • Shawnee County, Kansas, via GO Topeka, is offering grants up to $5,000 for small businesses that face coronavirus-related hardship, and particularly affected industries like restaurants and retailApplications are due October 15.
  • Volusia County, Florida businesses can apply for several grant programs.

Industry-Specific Grants

  • Yelp is offering advertising credits for small, independently owned restaurants and bars.
  • Crowns & Hops, a brewing company based in Inglewood, California, announced a $100,000 initiative for grants for brewers with diverse backgrounds, in partnership with Scottish brewers BrewDog. You can sign up to learn more here.

Identity-Based Grants

  • American Express is offering a grant program for Black-owned businesses, which you can read about here. Applications are due Sept. 28.
  • Discover is offering Black-owned restaurants a chance to win $25,000. Nominations and how to participate available here.
  • Spanx and The Spanx by Sara Blakely Foundation, administered by GlobalGiving, are providing 1,000 grants of $5,000 to women-owned small businesses affected by COVID-19 in monthly rounds. The next round of applications is September 8-15.
  • The Institute for Minority Economic Development, along with other partners, is giving grants of up to $1,000 for small and minority-owned businesses in North Carolina
  • IFundWomen offers a variety of grants for women-owned businesses affected by the coronavirus and otherwise on a rolling basis.
  • Inc. has assembled a list of funding resources for entrepreneurs of color. 

​​Funding Trackers

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