Sponsoring Agency: Augusta-Richmond County
Type of Fund: Grant
Deadline Available: Not Available
Deadline Date (mm/dd/yyyy):
Size of the Fund: Less than USD $50,000
The Small Business Relief Program has been established to assist businesses with 100 employees or fewer with operational and overhead expenses. This Program is funded through a portion of Augusta, Georgia’s disbursement of Community Development Block Grant funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development through the CARES Act.
These funds are intended to be used by communities to give relief to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Augusta-Richmond County Board of Commissioners have allocated $1.25 million to be disbursed by Augusta Housing and Community Development to local Small Businesses impacted by the pandemic.
Grant Tiers
Grant funding will be available in two different tiers based upon the number of the total number of employees reported on the business’ W3 Summary or IRS Form 941 prior to Feb. 15, 2020. The tiers of grant funding include up to $7,500 for a sole proprietorship or business with between 1 and 20 employees; up to $15,000 for 21-100 employees.
Eligibility will be verified via the submitted W-9 and/ or W-3 tax summary.
The tiers are as follows:
• 1 -20 employees – up to $7,500
• 21 to 100 employees – up to $15,000
Eligibility Uses
Grant funds can be used to reimburse the cost of business interruption due to COVID-19 as a result of required closures, voluntary closures to promote social distancing, or decreased customer demand in the following categories:
• Rent, lease, or mortgage payment for real property used for business purposes
• Payroll expenses
• Utility payments for business properties
• Cost of critical business operations
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), sanitation supplies and equipment
• Essential Business materials and supplies
Eligible Businesses
Small businesses in the City of Augusta / Richmond County that have suffered significant, temporary loss of revenue or job losses directly related to the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly businesses that have been directly affected by state business closure orders, are eligible.
• Businesses with their principle location inside Augusta / Richmond County.
• In business and operating a minimum of 1 year prior to March 1, 2020.
• Can demonstrate a reduction in sales/revenue due to COVID-19.
• Includes sole proprietors and independent contractors.
Eligibility Requirements
The following are the basic eligibility requirements for applicants to be considered for grant funding through the Augusta CV-19 Small Business Relief Program. Augusta, Georgia staff will review each application to ensure that all eligibility requirements are met. It is vital for all applicants to submit the required accompanying documentation to ensure a complete application submittal.
The eligibility requirements are as follows:
• Business can demonstrate the Retention (or Creation) of at least one Full Time Equivalent employment opportunity for a low or moderate-income resident of Augusta-Richmond County, GA.
• Must have current City of Augusta, Georgia business license.
• Can demonstrate business interruption and revenue loss as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Must certify on the application that use the grant funds will only be used to reimburse authorized business expenses.
• Plan to resume normal operations after emergency guidelines are lifted.
• Shall cooperate with appropriate officials for grant auditing purposes.
• Business can demonstrate ongoing business operations a minimum of 1 year prior to March 1, 2020.
• No owner, officer, partner, or principal actor of the business has a felony conviction for financial mismanagement within the last three years for which he or she is still serving a sentence (including prison, parole, and probation).
• Business is NOT publicly traded, partially owned by a hedge fund, or a corporate-owned franchise.
• Business does not have any current city, county, state or federal tax liens.
• Business does not have any current unpaid code enforcement liens and is not operating in violation of any state, federal or local laws.
• Commit to recommended COVID-19 Safety Guidelines put forth by local, State and Federal authorities.
More information at: https://augustasmallbusinessrelief.com/
