Montgomery County opens grant program
The grants are to provide small businesses with financial support due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic
NORRISTOWN » Montgomery County has unveiled a program designed to help small businesses in the county impacted by the spread of the coronavirus. The MontcoStrong Small Business Grant Program will provide grants of up to $25,000 to eligible businesses with fewer than 50 employees.
The purpose of the small business grants are to provide businesses in Montgomery County with financial support as relief due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 global pandemic.
Applications for the initial round of grant applications will be accepted beginning Wednesday, April 8 at 11 a.m.
Under the terms of the program, Montgomery County has made available $1 million in economic development funds to provide grants of up to $25,000 for eligible small businesses. The program is administered in partnership with the Montgomery County Commerce Department and the Redevelopment Authority of Montgomery County.
The initiative was developed “in part as a result of data and information derived from the ongoing regional survey of business impacts related to COVID-19 and to provide further, targeted support to Montgomery County businesses to augment state and federal programs,” according to emailed information provided by the county Tuesday afternoon.
Applications will be accepted until all grant funds are awarded and/or the number of
applications received significantly surpasses all available grant funds to be awarded in an application round, according to the program guidelines.
The grants may be used for a variety of costs including rent or mortgage payments, payroll expenses and covering utility costs from March 23-July 31.
In addition to having no more than 50 employees, businesses must have a physical location in Montgomery County and be in operation on or before March 23 to be eligible for the program. They must also be identified as being impacted by economic disruptions caused by the spread of coronavirus or forced to close as a result of Gov. Tom Wolf’s March 23 order relating to “non-life sustaining business.”
Priority consideration for funding will be given to those businesses that certify they are continuing to pay employees even while closed or significantly disrupted by the COVID-19 global pandemic, the guidelines state.
The complete eligibility criteria, program information, program guidelines, program FAQ, and application instructions are available on the Montgomery County Commerce Department’s homepage at www.montcopa.org/Commerce as well as on the Montgomery County COVID-19 data hub at www.montcopa.org/COVID-19.
There will also be a dedicated email account, MontcoStrongSBGP@ montcopa.org, beginning on Wednesday morning to assist applicants with any questions they may have before submitting an application.