County to offer small business recovery grants in response to COVID-19

~ Grants up to $5,000.00 to Help Pulaski County Small Businesses Offset the Impacts of
the Shutdown and to Assist with their Response to COVID-19 ~

The Pulaski County Board of Supervisors has developed
the Pulaski County Small Business Recovery Grant Program to support local small
businesses with recovering from the comprehensive impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and
to assist with the mitigating expenses in response to COVID-19 that are required by the
Commonwealth to reopen and to continue operations.
Small Business Recovery Grants in the amounts ranging from $1,000.00 to $5,000.00 will be
made available through 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 (SCC), and are up to date on all Pulaski
County taxes, charges and fees. Priority will be given to those small businesses who have
not received Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds.
“Our small businesses are central to the health and stability of our community and it is
necessary that we find creative and meaningful ways to support them through these uncertain
times and unpredictable challenges”, stated Jonathan D. Sweet, County Administrator. “The
essence of small business is people. They are owned by people, they employ people and they
serve people. So, when we support our small businesses, we are effectively supporting our
people right here in the community on so many levels and with a comprehensive return on
investment.”
The two-page application is simple and is 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.
“It is important to the Board of Supervisors to dedicate resources to help our small businesses
and support the employment, tax base and most importantly the character of our community
they represent”, stated Joe Guthrie, Chair of the Pulaski County Board of Supervisors. “The
funds we invest in our small businesses during this time will come back to the County
immeasurably, and will be part of what holds our community together and helps to stabilize
our local economy.”
The County of Pulaski will administer this new program. Forms can be downloaded from the
Pulaski County website at: http://www.pulaskicounty.org/. Applications will be accepted on
a first-come first-served basis starting on August 3, 2020 for those small businesses that have
not received Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds. All other eligible small businesses
that have previously received PPP can begin applying on August 10, 2020. The entirety of
the program is funded at a level of $300,000.00 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.