County supervisors to increase funding for Small Business Recovery Grants
Board Allocating an Additional $275,000.00 to provide 55 more Grants of up to $5,000.00 to Help Pulaski County Small Businesses with their Response to COVID-19
The Pulaski County Board of Supervisors will be allocating an additional $275,000.00 for a total of $625,000.00 to their Pulaski County Small Business Recovery Grant Program to further support more local small businesses with recovering from the comprehensive impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and to assist them with expenses in response to COVID-19 that are required by the Commonwealth to reopen operate safely. This allocation will take the program’s maximum capacity from 70 – $5,000.00 grants to 125 – $5,000.00 grants.
The Small Business Recovery Grants are available in amounts ranging from $1,000.00 to $5,000.00 through a direct application on a first-come-first-served basis for registered small businesses located in Pulaski County, who have 25 employees or less, are in good standing with the State Corporation Commission and/or local business licensures (if applicable), and are up to date on all Pulaski County taxes, charges and fees.
“The need for the Board of Supervisors to increase the program by an additional $275,000.00 is due to the overwhelming response we received from the business community, the $350,000.00 originally allocated was quickly consumed by our small businesses in need within the first two weeks of the program,” stated Jonathan D. Sweet, County Administrator. “We have discovered from the time spent assisting some of our small businesses with their applications, that these grants are very meaningful to them and the program was indeed needed to help them through these uncertain and difficult times.”
The grants are easily applied for through a simple two-page application comprised of only nine questions and a written summary of how your business has been impacted by COVID-19. Approved expenses that have occurred after March 1, 2020 and before December 30, 2020 are items such as: rent/mortgage, payroll, employee benefits, reopening costs, utilities, marketing, vendor payments, equipment purchases, personal protective equipment (PPE) and supplies, and new software. A W-9 must be completed and attached to all applications.
The County of Pulaski is administering this program. Forms can be downloaded from the Pulaski County website at: www.pulaskicounty.org Applications will continue to be accepted on a first-come-first-served basis. The entirety of the program is now funded at a level of $625,000.00 through a CARES Act appropriation to Pulaski County, Virginia. The Pulaski County Small Business Recovery Grant Program will conclude on December 1, 2020 or at which time the funds for the program have been depleted.