Sen. Collett announces COVID-19 Relief small business grant program application window
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Sen. Maria Collett (D-12 Montgomery/Bucks) said a new COVID-19 Relief
Pennsylvania Statewide Small Business Assistance grant program (“PA
Small Business Grant Program”) will open for applications on Tuesday,
June 30. The first round of applications will remain open for 10
business days and is not first-come, first-served. After those ten days,
applications will continue to be accepted for future rounds.
“Small businesses are the backbone of our communities,” Collett said.
“Here in Bucks and Montgomery Counties, small businesses have been hit
particularly hard by the COVID crisis. These two counties account for
approximately 17% of Pennsylvania’s general fund; yet to date they have
received less than 4% of the state’s small business relief dollars. Not
only is that bad economics, it is patently inequitable. The PA Small
Business Grant Program is a good opportunity for small business owners
in our region, especially those who may have been overlooked by earlier,
bigger programs.”
The federal CARES Act-funded PA Small Business Grant Program is for
Pennsylvania-based businesses with 25 or fewer employees and under $1M
in annual pre-COVID revenue that have been economically impacted by
COVID-19. Fifty percent of the grants will be awarded to “historically
disadvantaged” businesses (businesses are at least 51% owned and
operated by persons who are Black, Hispanic, Native American, Asian
American (including Subcontinent Asian American), or Pacific Islander).
The program will also give additional consideration to women-owned
businesses.
Senator Collett added: “I am thankful that this program will be
prioritizing hardworking middle class business owners, and that
customer-facing businesses like restaurants, gyms, health and beauty
services, day cares, and retailers that have been closed the longest and
suffered the most will get the support they deserve. I am also glad
that actual losses will be considered. These qualities describe so many
of the small businesses in my district and will benefit them when they
apply.”
The PA Small Business Grant Program will be administered by a network of
17 Pennsylvania Community Development Financial Institutions (“the CDFI
Network”). The CDFI Network will work under a single set of criteria in
conjunction with Pennsylvania’s Department of Community and Economic
Development. While businesses will be required to work with a CDFI, the
choice of CDFI will not impact their award determination and, if their
chosen CDFI is unavailable, another CDFI will be assigned.
Businesses can prepare to apply by collecting and scanning the following
documents: 2018 or 2019 tax returns (or interim financials through
March if the business opened in 2020); entity documents; sales/revenue
totals for March 1 – May 31, 2019 and March 1 - May 31 2020; a letter
describing how your business was impacted by COVID; a letter describing
how your business will use the grant award; and a photo ID. Online
applications will be available tomorrow, June 30, at
www.pabusinessgrants.com.