VERONA, VA – The Augusta County Economic Development Authority announces the release of a Disaster Recovery Grant Fund to help sole proprietors who are suffering from the costs of business interruption due to COVID-19.
The competitive grant will provide $1,000-$5,000 cash per eligible grant recipient, and applications are due by 9 a.m. on August 7, 2020. Awarded grantees will be notified by August 14 and disbursement checks will be mailed by August 21.
Eligible businesses must be located in Augusta County, locally operated, and the business owner must derive a main source of income under the applicable business. Additionally, this grant is for businesses who have not received or been awarded loans under any federal program, including loans from Small Business Association programs.
Randy Roller, chair of the Economic Development Authority, said, “Small businesses, including sole proprietors and the self-employed, are important to our local economy and bring unique character and community flair. We want to make sure that our smaller businesses have what they need to survive and move forward through the pandemic.”
Businesses can use the grant to reimburse costs for personal protective equipment (PPE), cleaning equipment and supplies, technology for e-commerce or virtual business operations, construction and alterations to encourage social distancing among other eligible uses.
The Grant Review Committee will rate the applications based on the severity of impact that COVID-19 had on the business.
Businesses can apply online at https://augusta.rwctest.com/facts-figures/covid-19/. To learn more about the program and eligibility, visit https://augusta.rwctest.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Overview-Augusta-County-Disaster-Recovery-Grant-Program.pdf
Funding for the grant comes from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act that was signed into federal law on March 27, 2020. Augusta County received $6.5 million of CARES Act funding from the state on June 1. The Augusta County Board of Supervisors voted to allocate $200,000 to local business relief at their regular meeting on June 24.
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ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TOURISM:
The Department of Economic Development & Tourism exists to provide a diverse and vibrant economy that offers a broad range of job opportunities while supporting the delivery of high quality government services to its residents. The department strives to collaborate on all levels (local, regional, state, and federal) to maximize economic opportunities and focuses on three main areas: business attraction, existing business retention, and business start-up support in addition to communicating with the community and enhancing labor resources and physical infrastructure/site readiness. All of this is done while promoting a quality of life that embraces our heritage, preserves the environment, and effectively manages resources.
