Rome opens 2nd round of grants for businesses
♦ Funding is available for local businesses hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Rome Community Development Department is now accepting applications from local small businesses for emergency COVID-19 grants of up to $5,000.
This is the second round of applications the department is taking after 34 businesses applied back in July.
The city received over $250,000 in CARES Act Block
Grant funds from the
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and put together a small business assistance program that would offer up to $5,000 in assistance.
“A lot of the businesses that have reopened haven’t rebounded,” Community Development Director Bekki Fox said. “So they’re experiencing a financial loss because they don’t have the same traffic.”
Of the 34 original applicants, 18 were approved for funding, but seven were denied due to not meeting some of the requirements. The remaining nine applications are pending, but the department is working with them to help them meet all of the criteria.
Right now, the department has enough funds to help a little over 20 more businesses and will be accepting applications until funds are exhausted.
The grants are to help businesses cover things such as rent, utilities and loss of revenue from the pandemic. One of the applicants from July used the grant to cover three months of rent, Fox said.
Businesses will have to meet the same requirements and criteria from July to be considered for the grant.
Applicants must have brick and mortar businesses within the city. Homebased businesses, national franchises and nonprofits do not qualify. The business must be able to substantiate a measurable loss of revenue due to COVID-19 and cannot have gross annual receipts of over $2 million.
For more information regarding the grants and applications contact Fox at bfox@romega.us or call 706236-4477.