Washington County is launching a $10 million program to provide grants to small businesses within the county to help them recover from the ongoing impacts of COVID-19. The fund will provide one-time grant awards of up to $15,000 are available to eligible applicants to assist with non-payroll expenses, including rent, mortgage payments, utility bills, payments to suppliers and other operational expenses that have occurred since March 1, 2020.
Washington County, in collaboration with the Washington County Community Development Agency (CDA), are working with MCCD (Program Administrator) to collect, review, and award these grants. This initiative is being funded by Washington County’s allocation from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
To qualify, an applicant must:
- Employ the equivalent of 50 or fewer full-time workers.
- Generate under $3.5 million in total annual revenues.
- Be a private for-profit business that has a permanent physical location in Washington County, Minnesota.
- Be in good standing with the Minnesota Secretary of State and Minnesota Department of Revenue as of March 1, 2020.
- Be in good standing with Washington County and the city where the business is located.
- Be able to demonstrate financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The online application will be available Monday, August 10th and will run through Monday, August 24th at 4:30PM. For more information on application guidelines, go to the website of the Washington County Community Development Agency.