Santa Rosa County, in partnership with the Florida SBDC at UWF, has created the Santa Rosa County Small Business COVID-19 Recovery Grant Program to assist businesses throughout Santa Rosa County impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Santa Rosa County will fund the grant with a contribution of $100,000.
"Santa Rosa County has always supported our businesses, especially our small businesses," said Commission Chairman Don Salter, District 3. "In these unprecedented times it is even more important for the county to look for innovative ways to keep our small businesses going and keep people working. I'm extremely proud of the work our economic development office has done."
One important distinction to note is that this is a grant program versus a loan, which means that if approved, a small business will not need to pay back this assistance.
"Small businesses are vital to our local economy and provide the livelihood for thousands of Santa Rosans," said Commission Vice Chairman Lane Lynchard, District 5. "As we all face the economic fallout of this, we need to do everything we can to support our small businesses and the people that depend on them."
The grant program will provide up to $2,500 per applicant or business to help offset losses that small businesses may currently be experiencing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Applications are available for download now at www.santarosaready.com. Submissions will be accepted beginning Apr. 6 at 8 a.m. Note that complete applications will be reviewed in the order they are received and that each applicant OR business is only eligible for one grant. If the applicant or business has received the Northwest Florida Small Business COVID-19 Grant, they will not be eligible for the Santa Rosa County Small Business Recovery COVID-19 Grant.
- Opening date: Mon., Apr. 6 at 8 a.m.
- Application deadline: Mon., Apr. 13 at 5 p.m.
- Grant amount (max): $2,500 per applicant or business
Eligibility requirements include:
- A for-profit, privately held small business that maintains a place of business in Santa Rosa County, Florida and established on, or before Jan. 1, 2019.
- Must be a store-front within Santa Rosa County, Florida.
- Must have been profitable prior to the COVID-19 disaster as indicated on financial documents.
- Must have a demonstrated reduction in sales revenues of 25% or greater due to the loss of business income related to COVID-19. Must provide written justification of economic loss or injury caused as a result of the declared disaster, e.g. sales or income from a previous year compared to current period. Provide documentation of a reduction of sales revenues.
- Must be a small business with no more than 20 employees.
Steps to apply for the grant:
- Go to www.sbdc.uwf.edu and select Request SBDC Consulting and complete the online request form. Remember to identify “SRC COVID-19 Grant” by name in the request form.
- Download the Santa Rosa County Small Business COVID-19 Recovery Grant Application at www.santarosaready.com, complete and sign the application, and gather all supporting documents. Email completed and signed applications, as well as supporting documents, all in PDF format to ahaider@uwf.edu starting Apr. 6 at 8 a.m. No application will be accepted prior to the opening date.
For more information about the program or assistance with completing the application, contact the Florida SBDC at UWF at 850-586-7802 or
ahaider@uwf.edu.
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